


Here We Are

by universebunny_cc



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Platonic Relationships, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 56
Words: 221,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22813909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universebunny_cc/pseuds/universebunny_cc
Summary: "We don't need things like memories."~~~~~Being one of Inarizaki's Volleyball managers is tough, the countless responsibilities and duties could easily become too much for anyone. If it wasn't for her attachment to the team, maybe she would have quit.Y/N is a second year at Inarizaki High School, constantly trying to balance out her school work, manager duties, and her own personal ambitions makes her constantly question how she finds time to deal with the team. Whether the twins are fighting again or causing their own kind of trouble, Y/N knows she can absolutelynotrely on Suna or Ginjima to do anything.Maybe if Kita wasn't so helpful, or Akagi wasn't so kind, or even if Atsumu wasn't so clingy, she'd follow through with her threats to quit. But who's she kidding?She loves them too much.
Relationships: Inarizaki Volleyball Club & Reader, Inarizaki Volleyball Club/Reader, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader
Comments: 826
Kudos: 1607





	1. Prologue

A small sigh escapes her lips as she absentmindedly watches strangers pass by. Of course, the one time she’s early is also the one time Suna’s late. She briefly considers leaving but decides against it after thinking about all the times he’s patiently waited for her.

Letting out another frustrated sigh, she checks her phone for the hundredth time. She almost messages a friend out of boredom. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Suna apologises, walking up to her. 

“It’s alright Rintarou,” she sighs, tucking her phone into her pocket. “I’ve been late more times than I can count so I guess that’s what I get.” She grabs Suna’s arm and they proceed to walk down the street. 

Suna smirks lazily, “It’s strange for you to be so forgiving, maybe I should test your patience a little more…”

Glaring at him, she mutters; “It’s the middle of the year but you know what? New year new me. I think I’ll become a murderer this year, and I think I know exactly who my first target is.”

Chuckling, Suna attempts to ruffle her hair but she dodges, glaring heatedly at him.

“Atsumu?” Suna questions with an innocent smile. Y/N smirks up at him.

“You know me so well.”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TWO ARE GOIN’ ON A DATE WITHOUT US!”

Y/N and Suna turn around and spot Atsumu pointing at them accusingly. He stalks over, panting as he glares at them indignantly. His twin brother Osamu stands behind him looking vaguely amused.

Y/N and Suna glance at each other before turning around completely to face the twins.

“Sorry for going on a date without you two,” Y/N smirks. “We weren’t aware that you wanted to have a double date.” Without missing a beat, Suna starts humming to the tune of _‘Sweet Home Alabama’_.

Flustered, Atsumu groans loudly and ruffles his head in frustration before letting out a loud screech, gaining the attention of onlookers. Osamu simply rolls his eyes as he approaches them. 

“That still doesn’t explain why you two are on a date! I didn’t even know you guys liked each other!” Atsumu rants, flinging his arms around in exaggerated gestures. 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N goes to retort but is interrupted.

“We just didn’t want you guys to know.” Suna states in a bored tone, avoiding eye contact with Y/N as he glances around. The girl huffs and smacks his shoulder before turning back to Atsumu, who is gaping at them in shock and horror.

“We’re not dating,” Y/N rolls her eyes, exasperated. “Honestly, I don’t even know how you came to that conclusion anyway.”

“You don’t know??” Atsumu screeches loudly, drawing attention once again. Y/N glares at him to indicate that she wants him to stop making a scene, as usual he ignores her.

“‘Samu here told me you two were goin’ on a date! I can’t believe it! We caught ya red handed and you’re still tryin’ ta lie to us??”

Confused, Y/N looks at Osamu who feigns disinterest, he glances around distractedly, avoiding her eyes.

“I invited the five of us to hang out for lunch before school started again, Hitoshi’s waiting for us at the restaurant. I told Osamu to tell you a few days ago.”

Blinking at her in confusion, Atsumu slowly turns to his twin, who has the audacity to smile at him innocently. 

“Oh, I may or may not have forgotten to tell you, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu continues to smile innocently. “My bad.” The three of them deadpan, he doesn’t look apologetic at all. Atsumu resists the urge to scream.

Y/N quickly grabs the twins by the arms before Atsumu can attack Osamu, dragging them along despite their whining protests.

“Alright children, let’s not keep Hitoshi waiting too long, we all know how he is. Rintarou, hurry up.” Y/N continues to drag them as Atsumu scowls at Osamu, while Osamu in turn smirks at his brother tauntingly. Suna follows close behind, leisurely dragging his feet. 

Once they reach the restaurant, Y/N promptly drops her hold of the twins, making them stumble. She pays them no mind as she walks briskly into the restaurant, awkwardly looking around hurriedly before she spots him and sighs in relief. Ginjima notices her as well, he waves her over and stands up to give her a quick hug, Suna trails behind boredly and nods towards Ginjima in acknowledgement. 

“I can’t believe you guys kept me waitin’ here! I- oh wait where are the twins?”

Sighing, Y/N takes a seat beside Ginjima, Suna promptly sits in the seat facing her. 

“I would have been on time, but Rintarou was a little late. And unfortunately, the twins are coming in right now.”

“Whaddya mean unfortunately??” Atsumu scowls taking a seat beside Suna, Osamu follows behind him looking disinterested.

“Yeah N/N, don’t lump me in with that turd.”

Y/N and Ginjima groan in frustration as the twins start to bicker once again, Suna ignores them nonchalantly, watching the sushi move past in a bored manner.

“School hasn’t even started, and I’ve had enough of them already.” Ginjima groans, Y/N nods solemnly.

“I can’t believe I managed to stick around for a whole year… maybe I should quit the club and do something different.” Y/N says staring icily at the twins, quickly making them shut up. 

“Aww don’t be like that N/N! You like us too much ta leave anyways.” Atsumu teases.

“I guess that’s true,” Y/N mutters, earning winning smiles from the twins. “Although I could easily change my mind, and I’m starting to seriously reconsider.” 

Pouting, Atsumu gets distracted when a plate of fatty tuna passes by. He quickly grabs it and immediately starts to eat. 

“Yeah don’t worry about waitin’ for us.” Osamu mutters sarcastically. 

“S’not my fault you’re so slow.” Atsumu counters, speaking with his mouth full. Ginjima and Y/N gaze at him in disgust before grabbing their own plates from the conveyer belt. 

The five students converse light-heartedly, speaking about their holidays, various memes they’ve enjoyed and ambitions for the new school year. Every now and then, Atsumu steals the food off of Osamu and Ginjima’s plates, leading to a lot of arguments and scowling. Y/N berates him for being rude while Suna casually ignores them. Despite the constant bickering, they enjoy each other’s company. 

After a while, Y/N checks her phone for the time before beginning to pack up her things. 

“Ah sorry guys, I need to go home now, you know how my parents are.” She apologises, the rest of the boys wave her off. 

“Nah s’fine, later N/N.”

“Later.”

“See ya next week, Y/N.”

Suna starts packing his things as well. 

“I’ll walk you home.” He says, “I need to run some errands for my mum so might as well.” 

“Thanks, Rintarou.” She smiles, before turning back to the remaining three. “I’ll see you guys next week, remember we have a club meeting on the morning first day back. Obviously we don’t have practise yet but make sure to actually turn up, you know how Kita-senpai is.” 

“Yeah yeah we get it N/N.” Atsumu waves her off.

“We’ll be there.”

Smiling, Y/N loops her arm around Suna’s as they walk out together, waving behind them at the trio. Ginjima waves back at them as the twins sit around lazily. 

The remaining three sit in silence for a few moments.

“They didn’t pay.” Osamu deadpans. 

Ginjima slams his head into the table as Atsumu resists the urge to scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super in love with Sakusa and the Inarizaki team so I thought I'd write my own fanfic XD It's been years since I've written one so I'm a little rusty :'))
> 
> This fic will basically follow the friendship that Y/N has with the Inarizaki team, and eventually her relationship with Sakusa =w=
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ~~~  
> [Website](https://www.universebunny.com)  
> [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6J6JytL2TaC8zGEoA0D_g)  
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/universebunny_cc/)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/universebunny)  
> [DeviantArt](https://www.deviantart.com/universebunny)


	2. Routines

Y/N somehow manages to wake up on her fourth alarm, she seriously considers waiting for the sixth but eventually decides against it. Sluggishly, she pulls out her phone to check her social media. As she squints at the bright screen, she leisurely scrolls through her Instagram feed until she’s interrupted by a message from Suna telling her to get off her phone and get ready. 

_‘Creep’_ she messages back, but proceeds to drag herself out of bed anyway. 

A soft glow of light seeps through her curtains as she steadily works through her morning routine, the rest of her family begin to wake up as well. After greeting her parents to be polite, she continues her preparations for the day, not bothering to converse with her siblings. 

Once she’s ready to go, she promptly leaves the house to get to her bus stop. A cool breeze blows through the street and she can’t help but enjoy the weather. The cool Spring morning welcomes the cafes and stores as they begin to open for business, and despite the many people scurrying around, it feels oddly calm and serene. 

Y/N knows this won’t last. 

Letting out a sigh, she mentally prepares herself for the day. 

_‘Atsumu and Osamu will do their best to annoy me all day, and Suna and Ginjima will do absolutely nothing to help me.’_ She thinks, already imagining Suna’s emotionless face and Ginjima’s sheepishly apologetic smile. Stopping momentarily in her thoughts, she brings out her phone to take a picture of some Sakura trees. 

_‘Kita-senpai will scold me for not wearing a scarf and keeping warm, again.’_ She thinks, tucking her phone away. Although she’s touched that he cares, she had no problem with the weather, preferring to keep cool rather than hot. 

As her bus pulls up at her stop, she gets on and resumes her thoughts. _‘Oomimi-senpai and Ojiro-senpai will probably try to keep the twins in order, and will fail miserably. And Akagi-senpai will-’_

“Y/N-chan!”

Y/N snaps out of her thoughts as she looks over to the boy that called her name. Akagi smiles at her from his seat on the bus, beckoning her over to sit with him. She smiles softly at him and walks over. 

“Good morning, Akagi-senpai.” She greets, sitting down beside him. 

“Mornin’ Y/N-chan!” He smiles brightly at her, she almost squints at his sunny smile. 

“How are you so energetic in the morning…? I just want to sleep and never wake up…” She mumbles. Akagi lets out an overdramatic, scandalised gasp as he stares at her in distraught, Y/N almost rolls her eyes. 

“How couldja say that Y/N-chan?? Wouldn’tcha miss us??” 

“Akagi-senpai keep it down.” She scolds. “You’re going to disturb the other passengers. And how could I miss you if I’m asleep? So obviously I wouldn’t.”

“…You coulda at least pretend to miss me a little…” Akagi mumbles, pouting. _‘It’s times like this when I think she’s too similar to Shinsuke…’_

Looking over at him, Y/N smiles softly before patting his shoulder. “I can’t do that, I’d be lying.”

Akagi recoils like he’s been stabbed. Clutching his heart, he’s about to complain until Y/N interrupts him. 

“It’d be a lie to say I’d miss you a little… because I’d miss you a lot.” 

Akagi nearly falls out of his seat. He clutches his heart even harder, beginning to tear up as he latches onto Y/N and hugs her tightly. Y/N awkwardly returns his sudden hug. 

“Y-Y-Y/N-chan!!!” He cries, “I’m so touched! You really know what ta say to people!” 

Y/N quickly glances around to make sure they’re not disturbing the other passengers, letting out a silent sigh when no one seems to be bothered. 

“A-A-Akagi-senpai! Is this a r-r-remix?” 

“Don’t ruin the moment.”

* * *

After getting off the bus with Akagi, Y/N proceeds to walk over to the gymnasium with him, chatting light-heartedly along the way. Once they make it to the clubroom, they aren’t surprised to see Kita and the twins already there. 

“Mornin’ N/N! Akagi!” Atsumu chirps, Osamu mumbles a small “Mornin’.” 

Kita looks up from some files he’s sorting out, he carefully packs them away as he stands up to greet them. 

“Good mornin’, Michinari, Y/N. You should dress more warmly, Y/N, the cold weather could cause you to catch a cold.” 

“Mornin’ Shinsuke!” 

“Good morning to you too, Kita-senpai. You already know I don’t get cold easily, I’m sorry for disappointing you though.” Y/N says, she quickly puts her belongings away and excuses herself to find the coaches. 

“Man, N/N sure works hard~” Atsumu sighs. “She’s just got here but she’s already gone off ta work~”

“That’s ‘coz we can’t all be lazy pigs like you.” Osamu drones. 

“Oi, shut it!”

* * *

After Y/N chats with the coaches, she thoroughly checks over the equipment in the storage room, taking note of anything that needs to be replaced. Once everything is checked over, she takes out her old club book from the previous school year, it’s filled with their stat sheets and various notes. 

Taking out a new notebook from her bag, she starts writing the names of the remaining third and second year members, wanting to be as organised as possible. She then takes out her phone to message herself a few reminders. 

“Ah, L/N-chan!” A familiar voice calls her. Y/N looks over at the girl, Kagawa Ginko is the other second year manager of the Inarizaki Volleyball Club. Her silver hair is cut in a pixie bob, Y/N thinks she’s cute. 

“It’s good to see you again, Kagawa-chan.” Y/N smiles, hugging her quickly. “I missed you a lot.”

“Ehh whatcha talkin’ ‘bout? We saw each other a few weeks ago…” 

Y/N pouts, “Those weeks were too long and painful for me, I've been counting down the seconds until I could see you again.” She dramatically wipes away a non-existent tear as she looks off into the distance. Kagawa cringes at her cheesiness and Y/N snickers at her pain. 

The current club members are gathered around the coaches, a few members from the previous year had resigned to focus on their studies, but the majority had chosen to stay. 

“I know we only just got back, but the first years will be joinin’ this week, remember to be nice and don’t cause trouble, lookin’ at you Atsumu.” Coach Kurosu begins, Atsumu flinches when he’s called out. “We’ll be givin’ out uniforms at the end of next week once we’re done with tryouts ‘n stuff. Interhigh’s just ‘round the corner so I don’t want any slackers ‘kay?” 

Coach Kurosu continues talking with the members, occasionally letting Coach Oomi chime in whenever he has something to say. The club members listen diligently and pipe in with the occasional bad joke, usually from Atsumu. 

Once Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi finish going over the details for the club, the members are dismissed and they prepare to attend the opening ceremony. 

“Let’s head over together N/N~” Atsumu cheerfully swings his arm around Y/N’s shoulders. She stares at him coldly before removing his arm. 

“No thanks, I’m going with Osamu.”

“WE’RE ALL GOIN’ THE SAME WAY!” 

Suna, who has been filming the whole interaction, narrates in a monotone; “And just like that, Atsumu was rejected once again.” 

“OI SHUT IT!”

“Devastated, Atsumu cried out to nobody,” Suna continues. “‘I’m fine!’ He told himself, but it was a lie. Once again, the beautiful Y/N chose his twin brother over him; Osamu, the more handsome brother.”

“WE LITERALLY HAVE THE SAME FACE!”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure Osamu’s better looking.” Y/N says. 

“Don’t mind.” Osamu smirks. Ginjima facepalms, already done with everyone’s antics. 

“How can Osamu be more handsome if he and Atsumu are identical twins? I don’t understand.” Kita questions, Akagi is snickering behind him while Oomimi and Ojiro look completely unimpressed. Atsumu brightens up, looking at Kita like he’s his saviour. 

“Kita-san!” 

“Ehh you don’t see it, Kita-senpai?” Y/N interrupts, smiling innocently. “Clearly Osamu is the better looking twin.”

“Yes, I agree with Y/N.” Suna plays along, subtly smirking when Atsumu glares at him. 

“Everyone always tells me I’m the more handsome twin.” Osamu adds, purposely ignoring Atsumu. 

“No they don-” 

“Is that so? Well I assume you would know better anyway, and Y/N always has a good eye for aesthetics and beauty.” 

Betrayed by Kita’s words, Atsumu collapses on the floor looking stricken. 

“YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN!”

* * *

“You’re always so mean to Atsumu-san!” Kagawa exclaims. “I get that he’s a massive pain but I don’t really understand! You two seem so close but you’re always mean to him y’know?” 

Y/N hums in agreement, she is a bit mean, just a bit, but it’s never anything serious. 

“I guess that’s just how I show my love.”

“Eh?”

“Um… you know how like… The more you like someone, or the closer you are… the more you bully them? It’s like- ARGH! I can’t explain!”

“Wait, do ya like Atsumu-san??”

“Not in the way you’re thinking, Kagawa-chan!” Y/N groans, already knowing she’s getting the wrong idea. “What I mean is that… the closer you are with your friends, the meaner you are? Isn’t that how it is?”

“Nah, I think you’re just mean.” 

“Eh, that’s true too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hnnggg... exchanging English for colloquial language in their speech is kind of painful but necessary :')) It's so difficult for me XD but since they speak in the Kansai dialect I need to :'))  
> I hope I'm at least doing it right welp
> 
> ~~~  
> [Website](https://www.universebunny.com)  
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	3. I'll work hard!

The first week of school is a little hectic. Atsumu is somehow already behind on school work and won’t stop begging everyone to help him, (Kita just coldly tells him to grow up and do it himself,) while everyone else is slowly getting back into their routines. 

After looking over the applications for the volleyball club, Y/N is sadly unsurprised by the number of girls that think they can become Inarizaki’s volleyball manager with no experience in the sport whatsoever. _‘Crazy fangirls everywhere’_ she scowls, blaming the twins for their popularity. In the end, only one application is accepted; first year Inoue Chika. 

Despite this, a number of promising players are accepted into the club at tryouts. While their skills definitely can’t be compared to the second year geniuses, Y/N thought there was a chance that at least one of them might be given the uniform.

* * *

Once everyone’s stat sheets are written up, Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi carefully discuss which members would be given the privilege of owning the uniform, names are also thrown around for the potential starting line-up. They speak briefly with the managers to confirm the chosen players before calling all the club members for a meeting. 

“Alright, gather ‘round.” Coach Kurosu calls over all the members as they start their water break, stopping their conversations. 

“We’ve carefully gone over each of your abilities and we’re gonna give out your uniforms now. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get given a uniform, we’ll just have to keep workin’ harder, and I promise your efforts won’t be in vain. Kinda like how dogs work hard to do tricks and get treats!” Coach Kurosu encourages, everyone sweat drops at the comparison. 

_‘He’s making dog analogies again…’_

Coach Oomi stands beside Coach Kurosu, holding the folded uniforms in his arms as he looks over them. 

“‘Kay then, for number 1, Shinsuke.” Coach Kurosu smiles proudly at Kita as he walks up to retrieve his uniform. “You’re Inarizaki’s Cap’n now. Make us proud.” 

Kita blankly looks down at the uniform in his hands, he carefully turns around and walks back over to his spot beside Ojiro. Cradling the uniform in his left hand as he gracefully sits down. 

“Next up, number 2, Oomimi~” Coach Kurosu calls. 

“Yes sir!” Oomimi stands up to retrieve his uniform from the coaches. 

Suddenly, tears well up in Kita’s eyes as he starts crying. The twins stare at him in shock and everyone quickly glances at him, not believing their eyes. 

“That was super unexpected! I thought Kita-san was more of an unfeeling robot type of guy!” Suna exclaims quietly. 

“Yeah.” Ginjima mutters out in disbelief. 

Y/N smiles softly as she watches Kita cry silently. 

_‘You’ve worked so hard Kita-senpai… I don’t think I’d ever be able to tell you how proud I am.’_

Kita starts to sniffle slightly, alarming the other two managers, who are not completely sure what to do. Y/N calmly takes out a pack of tissues and walks over to Kita, making the twins scoot over slightly as she sits down and offers him the tissues. He gratefully takes them, nodding in thanks before blowing his nose. 

Out of respect, no one else bothers him as he cries to himself, they turn their attention back to the coaches.

“And number 4, Aran!” 

“Yes sir!” Ojiro glances quickly at Kita before getting up to retrieve his uniform, he smiles proudly at the coaches before returning to sit down on the floor. 

“Next up, number 5, Gin~”

“S-Sir!” Ginjima stands up quickly, slightly startled. The first years look at him in confusion, not completely sure why he’s so surprised. 

Ginjima stiffly walks up to the coaches as they hand his uniform to him. He stares at the uniform in his hands, almost in disbelief. 

“You’ve worked hard ta get where you are, I have high hopes for ya this year.” Coach Kurosu smiles at Ginjima proudly, catching him off-guard with his encouragement. 

“Thank you sir!” Ginjima bows quickly before sitting down next to Suna once again. 

“First second year to get the uniform eh?” Suna says, smiling slightly. “You deserve it.” 

“S-Suna… don’t say stuff like that man, I might cry.” 

“I hope you do; it’d make a great video.” 

“On second thought, screw you.”

“And number 7, Atsumu unfortunately.” Coach Kurosu acts as if he’s disappointed, making everyone chuckle. 

“Oi! Whaddya mean unfortunately? Why’s everyone so mean to me anyways?”

“Don’t talk back to your coach ‘Tsumu!” Osamu calls, making everyone laugh harder. 

Although he’s scowling, Atsumu still graciously takes his uniform from the coaches, he smiles proudly as he holds it in his hands. 

“I’ll give ya the best sets!” He declares, before turning around to sit back in his spot. 

Atsumu proudly beams at the uniform he’s holding in his hands, causing Osamu to roll his eyes. 

“Look ‘Samu! It’s the uniform!” He exclaims cheerfully, grinning brightly. If Y/N had sunglasses she’d definitely put them on, but instead she opts for squinting at him. 

“We got the uniform last year ‘Tsumu…” Osamu mutters. “Or did your idiot brain forget that?”

“Huh?! What’dja say??”

“Next up, number 10, Suna~” 

“Ah.” Suna nonchalantly stands up to get his uniform, he bows slightly at the coaches before sitting down again. 

“And number 11, Osamu!”

Osamu, like Suna, nonchalantly accepts his uniform before sitting beside Atsumu again, who’s still grinning like an idiot. Y/N nudges Atsumu to get his attention, he looks over at her questioningly, still smiling. She smiles slightly at him, causing him to jump up in shock. 

“N/N JUST SMILED AT ME!” 

The coaches facepalm at his interruption, while everyone stares at Atsumu unimpressed. 

“‘Kay, and?” Osamu questions boredly. 

“You guys don’t understand! It was a genuine smile I swear!” 

“You’re imagining things, Atsumu.” 

“No I’m not! I know you smiled! I saw it!”

“If you’re going to mull over an ordinary human action, make sure to do it silently in order to ensure that you’re not disruptin’ anyone.” Kita cuts in coldly, Atsumu flinches in fear and awkwardly sits down, shivering slightly. 

“Frosty.” Suna mutters. Y/N almost wants to apologise.

As the coaches hand more uniforms over to the second years, Y/N briefly glances behind her and sees the first years beginning to look disheartened. Although it’s sad, it’s unsurprising due to the high calibre of skills in the third and second years, particularly the geniuses. Luckily, one first year does get rewarded the uniform. 

“And finally, number 14, Heisuke!” 

First year Riseki looks so shocked Y/N honestly thinks he might pass out. 

“Y-y-yes sir!” He manages to stutter out. The other first years look at him in awe, some of them didn’t think any first years would receive the uniform. 

Riseki stumbles as he goes to retrieve his uniform, and Y/N has to elbow Atsumu to get him to stop snickering. 

“I’ll… I’ll work hard!” Riseki yells, blushing brightly in embarrassment as he practically runs back to his seat, clutching his uniform tightly, as if he believes it would disappear. 

_‘There’s a chance for me to play in a match!’_

“And now for our two Liberos.” Coach Kurosu continues.

* * *

“It was your birthday last week, right Ojiro-senpai? Sorry I’m late but happy birthday.” Y/N hands Ojiro a small bag filled with Ritz Crackers and a small painted canvas. Their break is about to end, so she gives it to him quickly, blushing slightly when everyone turns their attention onto her. 

“Thanks Y/N-chan! We’ve known each other for a year y’know… you can call me Aran like everyone else.” Ojiro gratefully takes the bag and peers inside, his eyes light up once he sees the contents. “Woah thanks so much!”

Grinning, Ojiro cheerfully pats Y/N on the back, making her stumble slightly. Suna snickers at her lack of balance. 

“Alright, Aran…senpai.”

“Woah I totally forgot it was Aran-kun’s birthday!” Atsumu gasps. 

“No wonder why he’s been lookin’ older!” Osamu adds. 

“Aran-kun’s getting old!” The twins yell in unison, flinging their arms into the air dramatically. 

“Shut it, you twins!”

“How are you finding the club so far, Inoue-chan?” Y/N smiles at Inoue as she puts some volleyballs away, while the rest of the members are cleaning up also. Inoue stumbles and blushes violently after been addressed by the older girl. 

“I-It’s been good! Fine! Great!” Inoue stutters out, causing Kagawa to chuckle. 

“There’s no need to be so nervous around L/N-chan~ She’s super intimidating but she’s nice, so don’t worry so much.” Kagawa pats her shoulder in encouragement, shooting Y/N a look that screams _‘I told you to be friendly!’_

Y/N pulls off the cheesiest, fakest smile ever. “Haha yeah! We’re all friends here!” She cheers, before almost instantly reverting her face back to its emotionless state. Thankfully, Inoue didn’t notice her sarcasm. 

“A-ah I see! Let’s work hard together Kagawa-senpai! L-L/N-senpai!” 

_‘She’s so cute!’_ They both internally scream. 

“We’ll take good care of you Inoue-chan! You can come to either of us if you need anything! You’ll probably spend more time with me though, L/N-chan’s in charge of the regulars while I manage everyone else.” Kagawa explains, smiling encouragingly at Inoue, who is staring at them in awe. Y/N smiles slightly at her, before excusing herself to retrieve the mops.

“Scarin’ the poor first year already?” Osamu questions, taking the mop that Y/N hands over to him. 

“I didn’t do anything to her, she’ll get used to me eventually.” They start moping the floor together, absentmindedly watching the other members around the gym. 

Osamu doesn’t respond instantly, so she assumes their conversation is over. However, after a few moments, Osamu mutters; “It’s ‘coz you’re always tryin’ so hard to keep everyone at a distance. There’s no problem lettin’ a few people in, y’know?”

Pausing momentarily in her moping, Y/N smiles gently before turning to look at Osamu. 

“I let you in, didn’t I?”

* * *

_‘Argh! What do male elbows look like??’_ Y/N mentally groans in frustration as she painstakingly tries to draw some fanart. She seriously considers throwing her laptop across the room but reminds herself that it would be a terrible financial decision. 

_‘Are elbows even gendered? Do they look different depending on your gender??’_ She quickly analyses her elbow before groaning in defeat. _‘This is the wrong kind of elbow!’_ Quickly googling _“male elbow anatomy”_ , she is greeted with diagrams of bones. 

“GIVE ME FLESH-!” 

Her phone starts ringing, cutting her off from her mental breakdown. Begrudgingly she peers at her phone. 

_‘Komori Motoya is calling…’_

Quickly saving her work, she accepts his call in a heartbeat. 

“Hey Komori-kun, how are you?” 

_“L/N-chan! Hey! I’m good~ just calling to see how you are!”_ Komori cheers, there’s rustling in the background so Y/N knows he’s on speaker. 

“I’ve been well, I was just doing some drawing before you called. Thanks by the way, I really needed a break.” She doesn’t mention her outburst about flesh. Komori laughs heartily and she hears him shuffling around his dorm. 

_“Man you always work so hard~ not to mention you’ve got the twins to take care of! How’s Miya-san by the way? Causing trouble as always?”_

“Why ask when you already know?” She sighs. “Schools barely started again but he’s already behind on school work.”

 _“Yeah that sounds like him.”_ Komori chuckles. _“Oh by the way! Guess who’s starting Libero again!”_

“Starting Libero huh? Wow it’s such a mystery. I wonder who it could possibly be.” Y/N sarcastically drones. 

_“Hey don’t be like that! It’s me! We just got our positions today!”_

“Congratulations, Komori-kun, you must be really proud.” He hums in response. “We also got our uniforms given out today, our starting line-up isn’t finalised yet but I think I already know what it’s going to be.” 

_“Of course you do~”_ Komori laughs once more before they slip into a comfortable silence, she hears rustling from his side and assumes he’s just doing homework. Y/N opens up her Instagram to check her notifications, replying to comments on her artworks.

There’s more rustling on Komori’s side and he starts snickering. Before Y/N can question him, he stops and lets out a small _“ow!”_. Y/N hears something being thrown across the room before it’s silent once again. 

Just as Y/N’s about to question him, Komori speaks again. 

_“Sakusa says hi, by the way.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to that time I had a mental breakdown at 5am over how to draw male elbows :D Ironically it was while I was drawing Sakusa fanart XD if you wanna see it's [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Otv0CHAo2/)  
>   
> Also I wanna apologise because Sakusa's not going to physically appear for a while :')) Since he's all the way in Tokyo :')) but I hope you'll still look forward to seeing him! 
> 
> ~~~  
> [Website](https://www.universebunny.com)  
> [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6J6JytL2TaC8zGEoA0D_g)  
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/universebunny_cc/)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/universebunny)  
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	4. Foxes

“DID YOU STEAL MY PHONE YOU BASTARD!?”

“FOR THE LAST TIME! I DIDN’T TAKE YOUR PHONE!” 

Y/N seethes as she glares at her youngest brother in rage. He scowls right back at her, continuing a yelling match. 

“LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND LIE TO ME AGAIN!” 

Her brother stares directly into her eyes and screams; “I DIDN’T TAKE IT!”

“AH HA!” She dramatically points at him accusingly. “I KNEW IT! YOU LIED TO ME!” 

“WHAT!? NO I DIDN’T!”

“Bruh, I legit just said ‘look me in the eyes and lie to me again’, and that’s exactly what you did.” Y/N states in a deadpan tone. Her brother looks so done with her. He stomps over to his room, screaming in frustration as he slams the door. 

Once he’s gone, Y/N calmly walks over to the home phone to call herself. She hears her phone’s muffled vibrations and after some troublesome searching, finally finds it in the fridge. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she instantly unlocks her phone to call Osamu. 

“Yo dude, you won’t believe what just happened.”

* * *

The sounds of squeaking shoes echo throughout the gym, blending with the yells of the players. Two 6-on-6 matches are currently ongoing in the gym, splitting the Inarizaki team into four groups. There’s a mixture of uniformed players and bench warmers in each team. 

Y/N watches over a match with Coach Kurosu, while Coach Oomi watches over the other with Kagawa and Inoue. Writing notes as she observes, Y/N carefully analyses all the players on the court, occasionally making short comments to Coach Kurosu.

It’s Atsumu’s turn to serve. He bounces the ball a few times, his eyes staring down in concentration. Tossing the ball into the air, he prepares for a jump serve. Osamu, who is on the other side of the court, purposely tries to distract him just before he jumps. 

“Out!” He yells during Atsumu’s run-up, distracting him. 

Atsumu looks like he’s about to murder Osamu, who’s smiling at him with a sh*t-eating grin. The serve was indeed out. 

“Attacking your opponent will get you kicked off the court.” Y/N calls, making Atsumu scowl in frustration. 

“Gettin’ distracted durin’ your serve, Atsumu?” Coach Kurosu laughs as Atsumu grumbles. He flips Osamu off as he continues grinning. The first years sweat in fear from the hostile atmosphere, unused to the twin’s shenanigans. 

“Nice homerun.” 

The match continues as normal, occasionally switching players on the bench so they could have a go. All would have been well, if Atsumu wasn’t such a conceited jerk.

“D’ya have a problem with my tosses?” 

Atsumu glares down at the poor first year, ignoring the way he shakes in panic. 

“N-no… they’re perfect…” The first year stutters softly. 

“That’s right. They’re the best. So why can’t you hit them? Scrub.” The first year trembles like a leaf under Atsumu’s condescending sneer. Coach Kurosu facepalms at Atsumu’s terrible attitude and drags himself over to fix the situation. 

“Atsumu, that’s enough-” 

“Your footwork is terrible! You need to fix up your approach!” Atsumu yells, scowling at the first year and interrupting Coach Kurosu. 

Atsumu’s outburst causes everyone to stop what they’re doing. They turn their attention to the spectacle, watching with varying degrees of interest. Most members take pity on the quivering first year, sympathising with his desire to die in that moment. 

“That’s enough, Atsumu.” Kita cuts in, cutting through the tense atmosphere. “He has made errors and he will practise hard to fix them, there is no need for you to yell at him.” 

Grumbling under his breath, Atsumu glares coldy at the first year. “Scrubs don’t deserve to be on the court.” 

Returning to his position, he stomps his foot on the floor and crosses his arms in silent protest, Osamu rolls his eyes at his childish tantrum while Suna takes out his phone to take pictures. 

Y/N sighs in frustration as she walks onto the court, ignoring Atsumu as she approaches the first year. 

“Don’t worry about Atsumu, he’s got the personality of a rejected trashcan.” Atsumu shoots her an offended look that she easily ignores. “We’ll be subbing you out now anyway, I need to go over some things with you.”

As he shuffles off the court, the first year hangs his head in shame, too embarrassed to look at anyone. Y/N sighs as she pats his shoulder, and just as she opens her mouth to encourage him, Suna whispers from the other side of the bench. 

“Pick your head up, king, your crown is falling.” 

The first year flinches in shock when Y/N facepalms. She takes a few breaths to maintain her urge to attack Suna. Doing her best to ignore him, Y/N turns back to the first year. 

“Atsumu’s got a disgustingly trashy personality, so please try to not take anything he says personally.” She says seriously, the first year nods vigorously in response. 

Sighing, she pinches the bridge of her nose in annoyance before continuing. “It might seem hard to believe, but Atsumu’s just trying to help you. He’s got an appalling way of showing it, but he cares. Atsumu’s selfish and rude but… he works hard, and he expects everyone else to work hard too.” 

The first year listens intently, staring at Y/N as she talks to him. Although he’s still tense with embarrassment, he begins to feel better, just as she’d intended. 

“He’s paying close attention to you.” She continues, the first year sweats nervously at her statement. “He knows your potential, so he’s paying close attention to help you. You should work on the way you approach a spike, he’s right in that your footwork needs a little work.” _‘More than a little’_ , she thinks, but doesn’t want the boy to be disheartened. 

Brightening considerably, the first year blushes and thanks her before scampering back off to the side of the court.

Suna snorts from beside her. 

“Giving the poor first year false hope?” He questions, eyes not leaving the court as Osamu serves. 

“Not necessarily. I’m just saying the truth in a nice way.” Y/N takes out her notebook to jot down everything she observes in the ongoing match. She watches as Osamu gets a service ace, his team cheering in the background. 

“You sure that’s the truth? Seems like you’re just twisting facts to me.” Suna mumbles in a bored tone, Atsumu throws a tantrum in the background while Osamu and Ojiro smirk at him victoriously. 

“I wasn’t lying when I said Atsumu was paying attention; he was right about his footwork.” Y/N feigns ignorance to what Suna is getting at. On the court, Kita manages to receive Osamu’s second serve, sending it to Atsumu to set. 

“Atsumu literally doesn’t care about the kid, he probably wouldn’t even notice if he never turned up to practise again.” Finally taking his eyes off the court, Suna side-eyes Y/N. 

“That’s true.” She hums in agreement. “But he doesn’t need to know that.” 

Shaking his head, Suna turns his eyes back to the court as the whistle blows, signalling the end of the match. He checks the scoreboard to see that Ojiro’s team won. 

“You’re really manipulative, you know?” Suna questions as he stands up to go listen to the coach. Y/N smiles innocently in response. 

“I don’t know what you mean.”

* * *

The Inarizaki Volleyball Club, the powerhouse of the Hyogo prefecture, known for their beautiful play style and high calibre of skill; the “Strongest Challengers”. For the fans, watching the Inarizaki team is a wonderful experience; their flashy plays easily exciting the crowd, and the eye-candy on their team attracting many fans. 

But for opponents, Inarizaki is a nightmare. Constantly watching their opponents, finding their weaknesses, no matter how small, and exploiting them. Picking apart their defences, shattering whatever self-confidence they have as they counter their attacks. They’re smart, unconventional, cunning. They take risks, they’re manipulative. 

They’re foxes.

* * *

“Yo Y/N! I need you to come over here!” Coach Kurosu calls out to her, interrupting her conversation with Ginjima. 

“I’ll be right there! Later Hitoshi.” Ginjima waves back at her as she walks over to Coach Kurosu. Atsumu calls out, _“Ohh~ is N/N in trouble??”_ She ignores him. 

Writing down some notes, Coach Kurosu turns to Y/N as she approaches. She watches as he sorts through a few papers, placing sticky notes on them. 

“I was contacted by Coach Saitou from Shiratorizawa, apparently Washijou wants to have a practise match this weekend.” He tells her, handing her the papers. 

Flicking through them, she reads over the details. 

“I need you to contact Coach Saitou to confirm that we’re ok with it, just go over the details ‘n stuff. Oh, and they’re coming here, so don’t worry about transportation.” He explains, she nods along, making a few mental notes. 

“Alright, I’ll go contact him now.”

“Yes, Saturday is fine for us. I look forward to seeing your team soon.” Y/N messily writes notes into her club journal, making a mental note to write it out neater later. (Not that she will, but the thought makes her feel responsible.) 

_“Thank you so much! Coach Washijou would be so pleased! We look forward to playing you!”_ Coach Saitou sounds so relieved, finally feeling relaxed after confirming a practise match with another powerhouse school. 

Being the strongest school in the Miyagi prefecture, Shiratorizawa only challenges college teams and high schools outside of the prefecture. While it’s not shocking for them to arrange a practise match against Inarizaki, Coach Saitou and Y/N can’t help but feel like the long journey is a bit excessive. After ending her call with Coach Saitou, Y/N questions Coach Washijou’s sanity for making his team make such a long journey, especially just for a practise match before the Miyagi Prefectural Qualifiers. 

_‘But oh well, not my problem.’_ She shrugs, heading back to the gym to assist in practise.

“Yo N/N~ What were you needed for?” Atsumu takes a short water break from his serving practise, wiping his sweat off and throwing the towel at Y/N. Thankfully, she manages to dodge, scowling at his indecency. 

“I see you’ve chosen death.” She struggles to contain her urge to attack him, reminding herself that if anyone deserved the right to murder Atsumu, it’s Osamu. 

“Can’t help that I’m _drop dead_ gorgeous.” He flicks his hair and smiles charmingly, in the background they hear Osamu gag. “SHUT IT ‘SAMU!”

Rolling her eyes, Y/N sighs in exasperation as Osamu, Suna and Ginjima approach them. “The whole squad’s here.” She deadpans. Osamu and Suna do some weird kind of celebratory dance with completely deadpan faces. 

“If only I was a third year…” Ginjima mumbles, looking longingly at the third years as they have a mature conversation. He turns his gaze over to Atsumu and sighs in disappointment, making Y/N smirk. 

“Anyways, what were you doin’ before N/N?” Atsumu questions, they look at her curiously and she contemplates making something up. 

“Oh, Coach Kurosu was asking me if I wanted to leave the club. I was telling him about how I want to do art in the future and he spoke to a few other teachers for me, I’m thinking of joining a specialised out-of-school art club. Makes sense, right?”

Their faces are priceless. Atsumu looks like he’s never felt so betrayed, while Osamu and Suna have _‘what the f*ck’_ written all over their faces. Ginjima freezes in shock, almost like he was on pause. It takes all over Y/N’s self control to maintain a blank face. Laughing hysterically inside, she waits for them to say something, knowing she’d probably burst out laughing in their faces. 

“W-wha?”

Atsumu suddenly grabs her shoulders. “HOW COULD YOU BETRAY US N/N??” He frantically shakes her back and forth, making her dizzy. “DON’T LEAVE US! WE’LL HAUNT YOU WHEREVER YOU GO!” Atsumu frantically spouts more nonsense and won’t shut up. Y/N tries to punch him, but he won’t stop shaking her. 

“STOP SHAKING ME! I’M TRYING TO PUNCH YOU!” 

“OH, SO FIRST YOU BETRAY US AND THEN YOU ATTACK US? I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE ANYMORE!” 

“OSAMU! PUNCH HIM!” 

“Sure!” 

Osamu instantly punches Atsumu right in the stomach, making him lose his grip on her. Staggering back, she grabs onto Suna for support. 

“Argh I feel like throwing up…” She wheezes out. “Osamu hold him still, if I’m going to throw up, I at least want an easy target.” Taking deep breaths, Y/N tries to steady herself, groaning at Atsumu’s childishness.

“Are you really gonna leave us, Y/N?” Ginjima asks hesitantly, and suddenly she feels a huge pang of guilt. Internally clutching her heart, she remains loyal to her lies.

“Well I mean… it makes sense right…?” She mumbles out sheepishly, deciding to test her acting abilities. They watch her carefully as she looks to the floor, nervously playing with her fingers as she mutters. “I thought you guys would be happy for me…” 

Their eyes widen as they glance between each other, not really sure what to say. They mentally scream at each other to say something, not wanting to be the one to break the awkward tension. Osamu elbows Atsumu, making him scowl, but from the look on his face, they know he’s going to say something stupid. Knowing he’s the only hope, Ginjima smiles hesitantly. 

“It’s just a little sudden is all… Of course we’d support anything you’d do.” He makes eye contact with Suna, mentally screaming _“Agree with me!”_ at him. Suna sighs reluctantly. 

“Yeah… We’ll support you… ‘N stuff…” He mumbles out, making eye contact with Osamu and mentally telling him to agree as well. 

Osamu scrunches up his face, looking pained. “Ah… yeah… of course we’d… be happy for you.” He mutters. Everyone can’t help but think he looks constipated. 

Finally, they all turn to Atsumu in anticipation, waiting to see what he says. He mirror’s Osamu’s constipated face and Y/N needs to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. The other three boys stare intensely at Atsumu, mentally screaming _‘DON’T MESS THIS UP!’_ Atsumu doesn’t disappoint. 

Running his fingers through his hair, he sighs in defeat. 

“…s’fine as long as you visit sometimes…” 

Y/N’s touched. They honestly didn’t think Atsumu would accept her leaving the club. (Even though she’s not, she’s just trolling them.) Smiling genuinely, she pulls them all into a group hug, the tsundere boys blushing and avoiding eye-contact with each other. 

Still smiling, she leans in and whispers into their ears. 

“I was lying, by the way.” 

Patting them on the back, she skips over to the third years to inform them about the Shiratorizawa practise match, leaving the second years to mull over her betrayal.

“Oh, so Shiratorizawa’s coming this weekend?” Ojiro asks, smirking when he sees the twins pouting on the floor. Atsumu and Osamu glare heatedly at Y/N as she smiles innocently at them, pouting as they cross their arms looking dejected. Ginjima sits beside them with his head in his hands, sighing heavily every few seconds, the only one who seems unaffected is Suna, who’s rolling his eyes at them. 

“Yeah, they’re coming here on Saturday, can’t wait to see them again!” She cheers, excited to see the Shiratorizawa boys. Kita and Oomimi nod along to her words, thanking her before going back to practising their serves. 

Suddenly recovering from his sulking, Atsumu stands up abruptly and smirks. 

“You seem so excited for Shiratorizawa N/N~ Anyone you’re ‘specially excited for?” Atsumu slings his arm around Y/N’s shoulders as he smirks mischievously. Osamu smirks from his spot on the floor, watching Y/N in interest. 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N huffs as she pushes Atsumu away. His smirk widens and he clings onto her.

“It’s more suspicious if you avoid the question~” He sings, hugging her even tighter, seemingly unaffected by her smacking his head repeatedly. 

Y/N lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“…Their setter’s pretty cute.” 

Atsumu jumps back in shock, making eye-contact with Osamu in surprise. They didn’t expect her to _actually_ admit to anything. Even Suna perks up in interest. They quickly recover from their shock. 

“Wait, which one? Don’t they have two setters?” Atsumu questions, squinting at her to gauge her reaction. 

“Yes, they do. Is that your indirect way of admitting you think they’re both cute? Do you have something to confess, Atsumu?” Y/N quickly turns the tables and squints at Atsumu. Flustered, Atsumu kicks Osamu in embarrassment when he starts laughing at him. 

“Argh! No! Just tell us which one you mean! Do you like their starter or the other one?”

“Yes.”

* * *

“Yo N/N~ I’m gonna practise some float serves, I need’ta get better at ‘em. Wanna try receiving ‘em?” Atsumu prances over to Y/N as she checks her social media. Although Atsumu’s already well known for his incredibly power jump serve, he wants to add float serves into his repertoire to broaden his skills. 

Everyone knows that Miya Atsumu is a genius. Being an extremely skilled setter and server, it’s obvious how talented Atsumu is. Despite this, he continues to do his best, practising tirelessly to sharpen his skills. Y/N admires him for this, not that she’d ever tell him. 

She raises her eyebrow questioningly. “You do realise that I’m a manager, right? I don’t need to play.” 

“I know I know~” Atsumu waves his hand around, almost like he’s batting away her words. “But think about it! Imagine when we’re warming up and you receive my serve! That’d be a major power move!” His eyes gleam with excitement at the idea, making Y/N roll her eyes. 

“Power move, huh?” She smiles, thinking for a moment. “Alright then, send them over.” 

Atsumu claps his hands in excitement before grabbing her hand to pull her towards the court, she laughs at his enthusiasm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suna, Kita and Osamu's character sheets were just released and omg I was so excited TT^TT THEY ALL LOOK SO AMAZING OMGG :')))  
> So excited for the Inarizaki match to be animated :')) 
> 
> Anyway~ Even though I really wanted Itachiyama to appear, I thought it'd be more realistic for Shiratorizawa to come XD (also they're one of my favourite teams so-) Since Coach Washijou is lowkey crazy I thought he'd be the kind to make his team take a long trip just for a practise match XDD Whereas I think the Itachiyama team would probs make people come to them so welp
> 
> I got a lot of things planned so I hope you look forward to them! OuO
> 
> ~~~  
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	5. You haven't changed

_「 Shiratorizawa Academy 」_

“I can’t believe we’re already having a practise match~ Outside the prefecture too! Isn’t it exciting, Wakatoshi-kun?” Tendou looks over at Ushijima in interest as they continue changing to get ready for volleyball practise. 

“Who knows.” Ushijima says, not really caring. 

“As long as they’re good practise, right?” Tendou laughs in amusement, used to Ushijima’s passiveness. Semi sweat-drops at their one-sided conversation, choosing to ignore them like everyone else in the change room. 

“I’m… I’m sure we will win!” Goshiki nervously declares, still jittery around the older members. 

Rolling his eyes, Shirabu mutters. “Don’t be so confident. You don’t even know who we’re versing yet.” 

Flinching in fear at his cold upperclassman, Goshiki sweats nervously, not wanting to irritate Shirabu. 

“Give Tsutomu a break.” Ohiro cuts in. “He just wants to do his best, being a first year regular and all.” 

“I’ll do my best!”

Laughing joyously, Tendou claps his hands together and cheers. “That’s the spirit Tsutomu~! Isn’t his energy admirable, Wakatoshi-kun?” 

“Sure.” 

“I’LL DO MY BEST!” 

* * *

Ushijima quietly reads over a volleyball magazine, ignoring the other third years that decided to join him and Ohiro in their dormitory. 

Semi, Yamagata and Ohiro lounge on the floor, doing their homework together in attempts to make sense of it. Meanwhile, Tendou’s sprawled on Ushijima’s bed reading the latest edition of _Shonen Jump._

Looking up from his book, Tendou glances at the group on the floor with a smile. 

“Do you guys wanna read _Shonen Jump_ with me?” 

“No.” 

“Meanies~”

The third years didn’t even glance at Tendou when they declined his request, making him pout. Rolling onto his side, Tendou turns his gaze to Ushijima’s back, who’s sitting up straight with impeccable posture. 

“You’re the only one I can trust, Wakatoshi-kun~” Tendou muses, propping his chin onto his palms. 

“You should trust all your teammates.” Ushijima bluntly responds, making Semi and Yamagata mentally facepalm from their spot on the floor, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to focus on their homework. Tendou just laughs and chimes out _“Classic Wakatoshi-kun~”_

Taking a small break from his homework, Yamagata sighs. 

“I can’t believe we’re playing Inarizaki so soon…” The mention of something volleyball related instantly attracts Ushijima’s attention, making him glance up from his magazine for the first time. Carefully closing his magazine, Ushijima turns his chair around to face the group on the floor, suddenly invested in their conversation. 

“Yeah, that’s the one with the Miya twins, right? And those other guys.” Semi sighs, already accepting that he’s not going to get any homework done. 

“While it is true that Miya Atsumu and Miya Osamu are formidable opponents, we must not forget that their whole starting line-up is incredibly skilled, such as Ojiro Aran and Oomimi Ren.” Ushijima states blankly, thinking carefully about the Inarizaki team. 

_‘Of course, the only thing that gets Wakatoshi to talk is volleyball…’_ The rest of the third years sweat-drop. 

“Mm~ that’s true! And they’ve got that annoying middle blocker guy? What’s his name again? The bendy one?” Tendou questions, tilting his head in thought. 

“Suna Rintarou.”

 _“THAT’S THE BI-”_

“Tendou, don’t swear.” Semi scolds, then sighs as he starts having war flashbacks of the previous Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa game. Knowing he won’t be getting anymore homework done, Ohiro also sighs as he starts packing away his things. 

“They’ll be great practise, that’s for sure. Hopefully Coach Washijou won’t get too mad when we play…” Ohiro trails off, already knowing their coach is going to get mad anyway. 

“Argh don’t bring up the coach, Reon!” Semi and Yamagata groan, remembering Coach Washijou’s scolding at the recent Spring High Tournament, when Shiratorizawa lost to Inarizaki in the third round. 

“Haha~ We don’t need to worry too much!” Tendou laughs cheerfully, swinging his legs up and down. “That’s all in the past anyway~ What’s the Inarizaki motto again? _‘We don’t need things like memories’?”_

Nodding to his statement, the third years ponder over the meaning of the Inarizaki motto. Focusing on the present rather than the past, while admirable, Ushijima can’t help but disagree. If you don’t look towards the past, you won’t be able to fix your mistakes and grow. On the other hand, Tendou wholeheartedly agrees with the concept, thinking that dwelling on the past will only drag you down. 

Focusing completely on the present, working towards the future, disregarding the past; that’s Inarizaki. 

“Argh… All this thinking is making my brain hurt.” Yamagata groans, ruffling his hair as he searches his bag for his phone. Seeing his phone under a pile of junk, Semi hands it over to him. 

“I’m with Hayato.” Semi says, crossing his arms as he scowls. “Why are we even talking about this? We’re just gonna play the practise match and come back.” 

“Don’t be like that Eita~ Don’tcha see how excited Wakatoshi-kun is?” Tendou questions, dramatically gesturing to Ushijima. They all turn their attention onto Ushijima who’s still sitting in his chair with a blank look on his face. 

“I’m not sure if Tendou’s joking or blind.” Yamagata whispers to Semi, who just sighs. 

“They will be great opponents.” Ushijima states, making Tendou laugh. 

“That’s true~ but I’m more excited with seeing Y/N-chan again! Miss that girl!” Tendou whines, rolling around on Ushijima’s bed childishly, to which Semi scolds him again. 

“Their manager?” Ushijima questions, perplexed as to why Tendou would be looking forward to anything other than the practise match. 

Surprised that Ushijima knows who she is, the third years all stop what they’re doing and discreetly make eye-contact with each other. They didn’t think Ushijima would remember anyone who isn’t a player. 

“Oya? You remember Y/N-chan? That’s strange of you Wakatoshi-kun!” Tendou exclaims, watching Ushijima carefully in interest. 

“Although she is not a player, her volleyball knowledge is admirable.” He states, making the other third years even more interested. 

“Man… I’ve never seen Wakatoshi even look at a manager before… Let alone acknowledge one.” Ohiro comments, Semi and Yamagata nod in agreement. 

“Interested in my Otaku buddy, Wakatoshi-kun?” Tendou questions in interest, seemingly excited at the prospect. However, Ushijima doesn’t understand what he means, as usual. 

“Of course, it is quite interesting. I have never seen a manager contribute to a match; her position on the team can be compared to that of a coach.” 

_‘Ah… of course he’s only interested in the volleyball aspect.’_ They mentally sigh, slightly disappointed. 

“Haha~ that’s so like you, Wakatoshi-kun!” Tendou laughs joyously, finally hopping off the bed and joining the others on the floor. His cheerful smile slightly morphs into a more calculating one, alerting the others on the floor. 

“I can’t wait to crush those foxes~”

* * *

“Make sure to review the work! Studyin’ in groups could help you remember the criteria. We have a test next week, so make sure to be fully prepared!” The teacher dismisses the students for the day and leaves them to pack up. 

Y/N carefully packs away her things before preparing to clean the classroom with the rest of her classmates. She smiles at Kagawa when she approaches her, and they chat lightly together as they help clean up. 

Once they’re done, they start heading over to the gym for volleyball practise. 

“It’s almost May…” Kagawa sighs. “I can’t believe Interhigh qualifiers are just a lil’ over a month away…” 

Humming in agreement, Y/N thinks about the upcoming tournaments before she shakes her head. 

“We shouldn’t worry about that yet, Kagawa-chan. Instead we should focus on Shiratorizawa coming tomorrow.” She says, eyes lighting up when she mentions them. 

Suddenly energised, Kagawa’s eyes also start to sparkle as she nods vigorously in agreement. A few members are already warming up when they enter the gym. 

“Ushijima-san’s such an alpha…” Kagawa mutters, getting curious looks from the surrounding players. 

Nodding solemnly, Y/N adds, “He’s truly a high-quality man…” They sigh in contempt before bursting out into laughter. 

“Oi, you’ve got a high-quality man here too.” Atsumu interrupts, scowling at them as he crosses his arms. Both Y/N and Kagawa revert their faces back to their emotionless states. 

“Huh? Where?” 

“You mean Kita-senpai? Or Osamu?” 

Their bored stares pierce through Atsumu’s heart as he crumbles to the floor in defeat. “I’ll… never win…” He mutters in distraught, remaining hunched over on the floor, contemplating his life choices. 

“Oi, we’ve got practise.” Osamu aggressively kicks him in the side, making him tumble over. 

“You can’t kick high quality goods, ‘Samu!” Atsumu yells, leaping up onto his feet as he starts wrestling Osamu. 

“I know! That’s why I kicked you!” He retorts, trying to dodge Atsumu’s punches while also throwing his own. 

Finally dragging himself out of the change room, Suna perks up in excitement when he sees the twins fighting, quickly taking out his phone to film. Ginjima sweat-drops when he sees this. 

“Shouldn’t we call Kita-san…?” He questions uneasily as he sees their fight quickly starts to escalate, a small crowd already beginning to appear outside the gym. 

“Check it out! The Miya twins are fighting!

“Dude, fight in the gym!” 

“Ohh! It’s the volleyball team’s famous twins brawling!” 

“Let’s bet our lunch money on who’s gonna win this time!” 

Ginjima is quickly overwhelmed by the crowd, turning to Suna for help. 

“Suna-” 

“I’m not doing anything.” Suna deadpans, eyes not leaving the twins as they fight, which makes Ginjima groan in distress. _‘Where’s Kita-san when you need him-’_

“Oi.” 

Y/N’s cold voice cuts through everyone’s thoughts, making everyone halt in their actions. Freezing up, the twins robotically turn their heads to look at her, sweating slightly when they see her glare. 

“Seeing that you’re completely warmed up, I expect you to start practising. Now.” She says calmly, scaring everyone around her. Suna zooms in on the twin’s fearful faces as he continues filming, completely unbothered. 

“And you.” Y/N turns her attention to the crowd, making them flinch. “The volleyball team isn’t a little show for you to watch.” 

Scowling at the crowd, they start to sweat in fear, doing their best to avoid her eyes. _‘L/N-san’s scary! I just wanna get out of here!’_

“At least, not for free.” Y/N continues, startling them. She suddenly takes out a box that they had no idea she was holding and holds it out to them. “Alright, pay up.” 

_‘She just wants money!’_ They all internally scream, not sure what to do. 

Y/N continues to hold out the box to them, her emotionless face not changing at all. Behind her, they see Kagawa sigh and facepalm. 

“What are you waiting for? I said-” 

“What’s goin’ on here?” 

“Kita-san!” Everyone sighs in relief as Kita appears, happy to be saved from Y/N’s schemes. Smiling innocently, she greets him cheerfully. “Hi Kita-senpai!” 

_‘IS SHE BIPOLAR!?’_

“Y/N.” He acknowledges, before glancing around the gym. “Atsumu, Osamu, why are you lying on the floor like that? Get up and start practising. Suna, put your phone away, you don’t need it for volleyball.” The three of them quickly rush over to the courts and start setting up the nets in fear. 

Turning his attention to the crowd, Kita stares at them blankly as they sweat in anticipation. 

“Why are you here? If you have no business in the gym, you should leave.” The crowd quickly disperses as they all scurry away, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Kita’s coldness. 

Y/N pouts as she walks over to Kagawa. “I could have made some money~” She whines in disappointment, Kagawa just facepalms. 

“And you wonder why Inoue-chan’s still scared of you…” 

“I know right? I’m such a nice person!” 

"If you don't get off the court right now, I'll stab you." Y/N glares directly at Atsumu who glares right back in protest. 

"What's the problem, N/N? I'm not botherin’ anyone. I'm just practisin’." Atsumu grips the volleyball in his hands tightly as he sneers at Y/N challengingly. 

"News flash; break time is for, guess what, a break. As in, not practising. Makes sense doesn't it?" She says, words dripping with sarcasm as she continues staring him down. 

Groaning in annoyance, Atsumu clenches the volleyball even harder as he continues scowling. 

"Like I said, I ain't botherin’ anyone." 

"Oh yeah? Well your attitude is bothering me." Sparks fly in the background as they continue glaring heatedly at each other. Everyone ignores them, not wanting to get involved. 

"This ain't 'bout you, N/N." He says slowly, gaze unwavering. 

"You're right, it's not about me." She says, jabbing his chest. "It’s about you. Now get off the court and take a break." 

Atsumu's the first to crack.

"But whyyy!" He whines, childishly stomping around as he throws the volleyball onto the ground. "I just wanna practise! Is that too much to ask??" 

"You'll burn out if you practise too much, no matter how much you love what you’re doing." She states, gaze softening slightly as she pats him on the shoulder. 

"Come on you big baby, it's time for your water break." She teases, dragging him away from the court. He reluctantly follows. 

"Don't treat me like a kid, N/N~" 

“Then don’t act like a little baby.” 

“I’m baby~”

 _“I’ll actually stab you.”_

* * *

Saturday morning practise continues as usual, not much different from their usual practise other than the extra preparations for the visitors. Y/N, Kagawa and Inoue carefully prepare the bibs and extra volleyballs for the practise match. 

Currently doing serving drills, the players focus their concentration onto their aim and power. Atsumu continues working on his float serves, wanting to try them out in the Shiratorizawa practise match. (Totally not to flex on Ushijima or anything.) 

“Alright, gather ‘round.” Coach Kurosu calls them over as Coach Oomi checks his phone. 

“We’ve just received word that Shiratorizawa will be arrivin’ shortly, so take a short break before getting back into some passin’ drills.” Coach Oomi says, smiling when the players comply with his requests. 

“Oh, and Y/N?” Coach Oomi calls Y/N over and hands her the bag filled with their water bottles. “Could you fill up the bottles for 'em?” 

“Yeah of course, that’s my job.” Y/N accepts the bottles and walks towards the door, passing by the twins. She turns around and looks them dead in the eyes. “Behave.” 

The twins mockingly salute her as she rolls her eyes and leaves the gym. 

Filling up the water bottles is always a dangerous task for Y/N. It’s not that she has any issues per se, it’s just that she seems to always be approached while filling them up. Like right now. 

“Y/N-chan!” Hearing her name, Y/N looks up to see Tendou skipping over to her in joy as he waves his arms around in an exaggerated manner. 

“Tendou-senpai! It’s so good to see you again!” Y/N smiles up at Tendou as he finally reaches her, she uses her peripheral vision to continue filling the bottles. 

“I missed you so much Y/N-chan~ None of my teammates are willing to read _Shonen Jump_ with me! Can you believe it? Oh! Actually, have you read the new edition? What do you think?” Tendou rambles on cheerfully, completely ignoring his teammates who were impatiently watching him. 

Glancing behind her, Y/N smiles and waves slightly at the Shiratorizawa team, seeing Coach Washijou behind them looking through some papers. They wave back at her. 

“Of course I read it Tendou-senpai… Who do you think I am? Honestly I’m reading it more for _Kuroko no Basuke_ though~” She laughs slightly, closing another bottle as she finishes filling it up. 

“Ehh??” Tendou lets out an overdramatic, scandalised gasp and jumps up in shock. “But Y/N-chan! This season’s all about _Nisekoi_! And _Gintama_! And-” 

“And anything that’s not _Kuroko no Basuke_!” She mocks in a high-pitched voice, laughing when Tendou starts pouting. 

“I’m sure you’d love it if it were volleyball. I can imagine how excited you’d be over a volleyball manga.” She chuckles, making Tendou grin widely. 

Watching the whole interaction, the Shiratorizawa team carefully observe Y/N and Tendou, slightly impressed that she’s able to keep up with him in a conversation. Having never seen her before, Goshiki intensely stares in interest, making Shirabu roll his eyes at his lack of manners. 

“You’ll burn a hole through her with your eyes, Goshiki.” He deadpans, making Goshiki flinch. 

Hearing Goshiki’s name, Tendou suddenly perks up and looks over at them. Jumping up and dragging Goshiki over to Y/N as she continues filling the last of the bottles. 

“Hey hey Y/N-chan! This is Tsutomu~! He’s a first year regular and our next ace~ Aren’t his bangs so cool~?” Tendou coos, shoving Goshiki towards her so she can have a good look at him. He blushes heavily in embarrassment when she looks up at him. _‘She’s pretty!’_

“Nice to meet you…?” 

“G-Goshiki Tsutomu!” He stutters out, making Tendou snort in amusement behind him, enjoying his awkwardness. 

“Goshiki-san, already a regular? That’s very impressive.” Y/N says calmly, watching in amusement as he sputters. In her peripheral vision, she sees Shirabu and Semi facepalm at the interaction. 

Laughing joyously, Tendou suddenly shoves Goshiki out of the way, which causes him stumble back in shock. He picks up the bag of filled water bottles for Y/N and smiles widely at her. 

“So Y/N-chan~ Can I finally have your number?” 

_‘I sense a disturbance in the force.’_

The four second year regulars suddenly halt in the movements and quickly make eye-contact with each other, confirming their thoughts. 

Jumping up abruptly, Atsumu’s serious expression scares the first years as they flinch away. He dramatically points to the door. 

“Suna, go.” 

“On it.” 

Suna suddenly sprits out the door before anyone can even react, shocking everyone with his speed. _‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen Suna run… ever…’_

“Oi whaddya think you’re doin’??” Ojiro questions, glaring at the twins and Ginjima as they sheepishly avoid his eyes. Even Kita and Oomimi look perplexed behind him. 

“There was a disturbance.” Atsumu says gravely. 

“In the force.” Osamu continues, mirroring Atsumu’s grave expression. 

“Huh?” 

“Y/N’s in trouble.” Ginjima insists seriously, making Ojiro facepalm. Kita and Oomimi sigh in exasperation. 

Tendou continues smiling eagerly at Y/N, who’s lowkey impressed by his boldness. His teammate’s jaws drop from his bravery. Laughing slightly, Y/N’s about to agree until she gets interrupted. 

“Well if it isn’t _Gesu Mister_.” Suna suddenly appears between them, panting slightly from running. 

Tendou’s expression instantly drops, he sneers sourly at Suna. 

“I see you haven’t changed at all, _Bendy Boy_.” Standing up straight, Tendou looks down on him as he attempts to intimidate Suna with his extra two centimetres of height. Suna also stands up straight in response, Y/N’s pretty sure she hears his back crack. 

“Don’t start picking fights, Tendou!” Semi scolds, slapping him on the back before turning to Y/N and Suna to apologise. 

“I’m so sorry about him!” He smiles sheepishly as he drags Tendou back to their teammates, ignoring his whining. 

“But I want Y/N-chan’s numberrr~”

“I’ll see you on the court, _Scumbag Mister_.” Suna declares immaturely, making Y/N roll her eyes at his childishness. Handing him the bag of bottles (that he reluctantly takes), she grabs his arm and drags him back to the gym. 

“Your Y/N senses again?” She questions teasingly, smirking up at him as he rolls his eyes. 

“…Atsumu sent me.” 

“Sure Rintarou, whatever you say~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been getting so many kind messages about my fic and I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to read and comment TT^TT It really makes me feel super happy :')) 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing for Shiratorizawa~ (since they're my favourite team along with Inarizaki-) So I hope you enjoyed reading about them~ I also made sure to research what mangas were in Shonen Jump 2012 XD because I want this fanfic to be accurate to the timeline =w=
> 
> I actually recently did Suna fanart too XD Because honestly, his character sheet was so beautiful I couldn't resist :')) If you wanna see it's [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/B9nf3EDnkNK/) =w=  
> (I worked very hard)
> 
> ~~~  
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	6. Inarizaki VS Shiratorizawa

“Thank you for having us!” The Shiratorizawa team bows as they enter the gym, Coach Washijou and Coach Saitou following closely behind. 

“Please come this way, you can get warmed up on this court.” Y/N leads the Shiratorizawa team to an empty court for them to practise, handing them everything they need. 

“Remember to give me your number later, Y/N-chan~” Tendou calls out as he starts warming up, causing Semi and Shirabu to roll their eyes. 

“Satori! Focus on practise!” Coach Washijou screeches loudly, making everyone in the gym flinch in shock. Coach Kurosu just laughs joyously before approaching Coach Washijou to discuss some things. 

On the other side of the gym, Atsumu pouts as he watches Y/N speak with Shirabu, already mentally imagining scenarios of him flexing his ‘superior setter skill’ on the Shiratorizawa setter. 

Osamu and Suna roll their eyes at Atsumu’s dramatic pouting, choosing to ignore him as he sighs loudly. Atsumu sighs even louder, hoping they’d get the hint that he wants attention. When he’s ignored again, he tries sighing even louder. 

Finally having enough of his dramatic sighing, Ginjima takes one for the team and approaches Atsumu. 

“What.” Ginjima scowls at Atsumu, not wanting to deal with the drama queen. 

“N/N’s helpin’ the enemy! Look at her! Chattin’ ‘em up!” Atsumu dramatically gestures to Y/N, who’s now handing the bibs to the Shiratorizawa members. He narrows his eyes at her when she laughs at something Tendou says. 

Somehow sensing his stare, Y/N glances at Atsumu, smirking when she sees his face. Atsumu lets out a scandalised gasp as he steps back in shock. 

“What’re you doin’?” Kita’s cold voice cuts into their thoughts as they suddenly snap their attention onto their captain. 

“N-Nothin’!” Atsumu instantly gets back to warming up, not wanting to disappoint Kita. 

“Haha~ the poor second years are still scared of Shinsuke.” Akagi snickers, watching them try to appear casual as they stretch. 

“Can’t really blame ‘em.” Oomimi mutters. “Shinsuke can be a scary guy.” 

“Can be? I don’t think there’s anyone I fear more.” Ojiro scoffs, shivering slightly as he remembers Kita’s cold logic. 

After they finish stretching, Kagawa approaches the third years to give them their bibs for the practise match. 

“Here ya go~” She chimes, handing them over as they thank her. Sighing, she turns her attention to Inoue, who’s visibly trying to work up the courage to approach the second years. Stammering as Atsumu approaches her with a smirk. 

“There’s no need to be so shy, Inoue-chan~ Thanks for your hard work~” 

“R-Right!” Inoue blushes heavily, suddenly self-conscious and nervous around him, she hates being the centre of attention. 

“Sorry ‘bout that loser.” Osamu drones, taking a bib from her hands, Suna and Ginjima following suit, nodding towards her in thanks. She tries to stutter out a response but finds herself unable to, her social anxiety getting the better of her. 

Knowing that Y/N would want her to feel more welcome, the second years all turn to look at Ginjima, mentally telling him to make her feel better. He scowls at them before approaching her again. 

The second years watch as Ginjima talks with Inoue, mentally thanking Ginjima’s little sister for giving him brotherly instincts and social skills. 

On the other side of the gym, Y/N smiles softly as she watches the exchange, thankful that the members are doing their best to make Inoue feel more welcome. She can’t help but remember how they treated her when they first joined the club, mentally rolling her eyes at Atsumu’s previous attitude. 

“U-um! L/N-senpai!” Goshiki’s voice snaps her out her thoughts, she smiles as she turns her attention onto him. 

“Is there something you need, Goshiki-san?” She asks, making eye-contact with Tendou who’s snickering behind him. 

“Um… E-eh…” He flounders, suddenly forgetting what he was going to ask. Rolling his eyes at his stupidity, Shirabu cuts in. 

“He was going to ask if you’d be ok with tossing some balls, L/N-san. We’re going to do some spiking drills.” He states, side-eyeing Goshiki. 

“Hm? Yeah sure.” 

Helping the Shiratorizawa team is honestly a treat for Y/N. Not that she doesn’t enjoy helping her own team, but they’re a nice change of pace. Tendou’s has a cheerful friendliness that the Inarizaki team lacks, (seriously, most of the team is either too serious, dead inside, or Atsumu) and she finds herself easily connecting with Shirabu and Kawanishi, the two second year regulars. Finding Goshiki’s youthfulness adorable, Y/N can’t help but feel slightly disappointed that there are no first year regulars on the Inarizaki team for her to baby. 

Then of course, there’s Ushijima. 

To be honest, he’s very similar to Kita, completely serious and lacking all forms of social awareness. But Y/N can’t help but be in awe every time she watches Ushijima, he has a commanding presence and is a natural attention magnet. 

He’s also _slightly_ intimidating. 

Watching Ushijima spike is breathtaking. He soars into the air like an eagle, somehow flying despite his large and powerful build. His form is beautiful, well-refined, it’s almost as if he commands the air when he spikes. 

Snapping out of her awestruck thoughts, Y/N heads over to the other side of the court to pick up the stray volleyballs, glancing periodically to observe Shirabu’s setting. She can’t help but analyse it and compare it to Atsumu’s. 

Glancing once again, Y/N halts in her actions as she watches Ushijima run up to spike, carefully examining his movements. 

_BAM!_

As his hand makes contact with the ball, a loud boom resonates throughout the gym, snapping Y/N out of her thoughts. 

The ball hurtles towards her at amazing speed, and instinctively she moves into a receiving position. 

Suddenly remembering that she’s not meant to be playing, Y/N quickly changes her form to catch the powerful spike. 

“L/N-san-!” Shirabu cringes as Y/N catches the ball, falling backwards from its force. 

It’s incredibly painful. Y/N isn’t sure if the majority of the pain is coming from her stomach that the ball just obliterated, or from her bum that just made unfortunate contact with the unforgiving floor. In all honesty, it doesn’t matter where the pain is coming from, because she wants to die either way. 

However, pretending to be fine when she’s not is a skill that Y/N has mastered. So she does her best ignore the pain and nonchalantly gets up, putting the ball back into the volleyball cart. Acting as if she didn’t just get attacked by a meteor. 

Sensing their stares, Y/N looks up at the Shiratorizawa members who are staring at her, tilting her head questioningly. 

“You okay Y/N-chan?? Wakatoshi-kun’s spikes are lethal!” Tendou hops over to Y/N as he checks her carefully for any signs of injury. 

“Sorry.” Ushijima apologises. 

“Ah no, it’s fine you don’t need to apologise. I put myself in line with your spike.” Y/N says sheepishly. She considers pretending to be fine, but under Tendou’s watchful gaze, she knows she wouldn’t get away with it. “Honestly that was pretty painful… I think I’d die if I tried that again.” 

“I know right~” Tendou laughs joyously. “You seem pretty fine though~ So I don’t think you’ll be dying anytime soon!” 

_‘I’m constantly dying inside.’_ Y/N thinks, watching as Suna re-enacts getting hit in the stomach by a volleyball, dramatically falling to the floor as he clutches his stomach in mock pain. He shakily raises his hand towards Osamu, who’s dramatically weeping by his side, Atsumu next to him frantically wiping away his fake tears. Even Kagawa’s beside them, fake sobbing as she pretends to call an ambulance. 

_‘Yep. I want to die.’_ Y/N deadpans, mentally murdering the idiots on the other side of the gym. Sensing her murderous aura, Ginjima frantically tries to get them off the floor, but to no avail. 

He shoots her an apologetic look, to which she responds with the three-finger salute from _The Hunger Games_. _‘You’re the only one I can trust, Hitoshi.’_ He salutes back, and wipes away a non-existent tear. 

“I sure hope I’m not dying anytime soon.” Y/N sighs, turning her attention back to Tendou. “Too many lives would be at stake.” _‘Since no one else can look after those idiots…’_

“Hm? Don’t get what you mean but you’re funny Y/N-chan!” Tendou laughs, heading back to his team to finish warm-ups. 

“I’m flattered.” She deadpans. 

“THINK FAST!” 

Atsumu serves the volleyball straight towards Y/N as she passes by, making her drop her notebook as she moves to receive the serve. 

_‘I’ll murder him one day, if Osamu doesn’t get to him first.’_ Y/N scowls as she receives his serve, arms stinging from the sensation. 

“Nice receive~” He calls out, smirking widely. 

“Of course it is.” She says, glaring at him. “And I sure hope you can nicely receive these fists-” 

“Woah that was so good Y/N-chan!” Tendou calls, eyes sparkling in awe. “Are you a volleyball player too? That was so cool!” 

Goshiki’s eyes sparkle in admiration as he hides behind Tendou, mimicking his movements as he moves around in an exaggerated manner. Even Ushijima seems slightly curious. 

Smirking at their awe and enthusiasm, Y/N plays it cool. 

“Nah, I’m just the Inarizaki manager.” 

* * *

“Let’s have a good game!” 

The Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa teams shake hands with each other as they begin their practise match. Inoue gulps uneasily as she watches from beside the scoreboard, already aware of the incredible skills of the two powerhouse schools. 

Shiratorizawa goes first, with Goshiki serving. Despite his nerves, he manages to hit a strong jump serve directly to Ojiro, who lands a solid receive. 

“Alright!” Atsumu calls out, wanting to show off. He sets the ball to Osamu for a quick attack, and despite being taken off guard, Yamagata dives for the ball, only barely missing. 

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

“Nice kill~” Atsumu high fives Osamu, who’s scowling at him for doing something so reckless already. 

“Warn me next time.” He huffs, moving back into position. 

“TAICHI! YOU SHOULD HAVE JUMPED TO BLOCK!” Coach Washijou screeches, making everyone cringe. That’s the demon coach for you. 

Atsumu’s serve. 

Pouting slightly, Atsumu sighs as he gazes at the opposing team. “I really wanted to hit it at Ushijima-kun…” 

Letting out a deep breath, Atsumu’s stare hardens as he turns his gaze onto Goshiki, who flinches in shock. Bouncing the ball a few times, Atsumu tosses it into the air. 

_BAM!_

Hitting a powerful jump serve, the volleyball shoots straight towards Goshiki at an alarming speed. Barely having time to react, he manages to touch the ball with his right hand before it bounces out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [02 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

“What a show-off.” Y/N mumbles, making Coach Kurosu snicker from beside her. 

Gritting his teeth, Goshiki quickly apologises to his teammates. “Sorry I’ll get the next one!” 

“Didn’t L/N-san receive that before? She’s not even a player.” Shirabu says, dead eyes boring into Goshiki’s soul. 

“I-I’ll get it next time!” 

_(Narrator: he did not get it next time.)_

_Inarizaki [03 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

Grinning widely from scoring another service ace, Atsumu excitedly turns to look at Y/N, almost as if seeking her approval. Rolling her eyes at his childishness, Y/N smiles and gives him thumbs up, to which he responds by pumping his fist in the air. 

“Atsumu’s like a puppy sometimes!” Coach Kurosu laughs cheerfully as Coach Oomi and Y/N sigh. 

“TSUTOMU! WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING ON COURT IF YOU CAN’T EVEN RECEIVE A SERVE!” 

“Y-YES!” Goshiki sputters, making Tendou snicker. Shirabu just facepalms. 

Concentrating once again, Atsumu goes for another jump serve, missing his target as it swerves towards Yamagata. 

_‘Tch… I hit it to their Libero…’_ He scowls as Yamagata manages to keep the ball in play. 

“Shirabu!” 

Shirabu moves to set the ball, sending a high toss to Ushijima. 

Holding her breath as Ushijima jumps, it’s almost as if time slows down. His spikes are always beautiful. 

Suna’s quick reflexes let him instantly jump in front of Ushijima, lagging behind slightly from his lack of energy. _‘At least the sentiment is there.’_ Y/N deadpans, knowing Kita will definitely have something to say about it. 

Akagi instantly dives towards the ball as Ushijima spikes, managing to get into a good position to receive it. 

The ball bounces off his arms and flings out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [03 – 01] Shiratorizawa_

“Whew… that’s intense~” Akagi wheezes, feeling the stinging sensation on his arms. 

“Don’t mind, Akagi!” Ojiro calls out, patting his shoulder. 

“Haha~ nah it’s fine! Lefties are just annoyin’…” He trails off, seeing Atsumu and Osamu gawking at Ushijima in awe. 

“Bein’ left-handed is so cool!” Atsumu says, eyes sparkling admiration. “I wish I could use my left-hand!” 

Osamu nods eagerly in agreement before taking a jab at Atsumu. “How couldja use your left hand when you can’t even use your right?” 

The twins instantly start throwing punches at each other, making Ojiro yell at them to focus on the match. 

_Inarizaki [21 – 19] Shiratorizawa_

The match continues as usual, with Inarizaki taking a slight lead. 

“Give us a nice serve, Gin!” 

Y/N analyses the court with an unnerving stare, scaring the reserve players slightly. While she’s always on the quiet side, her eerily analytical gaze scares them. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 21] Shiratorizawa_

“Coach.” Y/N calls, eyes finally leaving the court for the first time. 

Coach Kurosu stands up to call Inarizaki’s first timeout for the first set. The players go to their representative benches, wiping their sweat off as they listen to their coaches. 

“Callin’ a timeout this late in the set? Whatcha thinkin’ N/N?” Atsumu questions, taking a few sips from his drink bottle. 

“Seemed like the right time, given that it’s time for Ushijima-senpai’s serve now, and Rintarou’s pretty much warmed up.” She replies, thinking carefully. 

“You guys are playin’ well, good job with keepin’ all your jump serves in, Atsumu.” Coach Kurosu praises, causing Atsumu to beam. 

“Hear that ‘Samu? I’ve gotten more service aces than you~” 

“I haven’t been countin’.” 

“Liar!” 

“That reminds me,” Kita’s voice cuts in, making everyone snap their attention onto him. He turns his cold gaze onto Suna, who promptly tries to avoid eye-contact. “What’s with your lazy blockin’, Suna? You slackin’ in this important game?” 

Atsumu and Akagi snicker at Suna’s suffering, thankful that they’re not on the receiving end. 

“He’s all warmed up now, so he doesn’t have any excuses if he slacks off.” Y/N cuts in, saving Suna from Kita’s lecture. 

“Anyway~ Whatcha thinkin’ N/N? You only call timeouts if you have somethin’ to say.” Atsumu questions, eager to hear what she has to say. 

Smiling slightly, Y/N agrees. “Yeah, it’s not much since you guys are smart but… I do have a few things to say.” 

Tendou watches the Inarizaki team as they stand around Y/N and their coaches, sighing audibly as he chugs his water. 

“We’re in trouble now~” 

“What do you mean?” Goshiki questions, having never played Inarizaki before. 

Patting his shoulder, Tendou sighs again, pointing over to the Inarizaki team’s bench. “Y/N-chan’s talking to them, she’s always got something interesting to say.” 

Confused, Goshiki tilts his head to the side, but doesn’t question. 

“You nervous Kenjirou~?” Tendou teases, turning his gaze onto Shirabu, who stares at him blankly in response. “She’s probably gonna get them to target you, Y/N-chan can be pretty scary don’tcha think Wakatoshi-kun?”

Shrugging in disinterest, Ushijima takes another drink from his bottle. “It will be interesting to see what they change.” 

“It’s no surprise that the three with the weakest mindsets are the youngest ones, their first and second years. Atsumu, Rintarou, you two are great at getting people to hate you.” They roll their eyes good-naturedly as she smirks. 

“Those three are your targets. Obviously given the rotations, Rintarou will deal with Kawanishi-san, their Number 12, and Atsumu will deal with Number 8 and 10, the first year and Shirabu-san.” 

Nodding along, Atsumu thinks for a moment. “Ball-cut boy and their setter, huh? Whaddya suggest I do?” 

“Just be yourself, everyone on court will hate you.” 

“Oi that’s mean!” He huffs, rolling his eyes as Osamu and Ojiro laugh at him. 

Y/N smirks. “I mean it though. Literally just be yourself, and their setter will easily start to feel inferior.” 

The players return to the court as the timeout ends. Ushijima immediately preparing to serve. 

The ball flies across the court, approaching Akagi who manages to keep it in play. 

“Soz’! Cover!” 

“Atsumu!” Ginjima calls, sending it to him. 

Smirking slightly, Atsumu jumps up, positioning for a setter’s dump. Annoyed, Shirabu instantly jumps up to block it, only to see Atsumu change his form and send a high toss to Oomimi. 

Oomimi instantly spikes it down from a high point. 

_Inarizaki [23 – 21] Shiratorizawa_

Whistling slightly, Suna fanboys over Oomimi’s high spike, always admiring the third year for his skill. “So cool-!” 

Aggravated, Shirabu glares at Atsumu, who only smirks down on him condescendingly. 

“Man~ You sure jumped pretty high for that toss, or well, as high as someone your height can.” 

Shirabu grumbles in annoyance as he tries to ignore Atsumu, making him smirk even wider. 

_“Since I’m talking to you, they’ll probably expect me to tell you who to target. Knowing Tendou-senpai and Shirabu-san, they’ll expect you to do a setter’s dump to intimidate Shirabu-san around now, Atsumu.” Y/N explains, the players listening carefully in interest._

_“So I want you to bait Shirabu-san into it, if you look like you’re gonna do a dump, he’ll definitely jump. Teehee that rhymed~” She chuckles slightly, making them roll their eyes._

_“‘Kay then, so I just pretend to do a dump but change it?”_

_“Basically yeah. But Shirabu-san’s pretty short right? Why not send it to Oomimi-senpai? He’s got a high spike; it would basically be like mocking him.”_

_“Damn you’re pretty mean… It’s honestly scary sometimes, N/N.”_

_“But not scary enough to make you listen to me?”_

_“I don’t even listen to my parents, why would I listen to you- OW! ‘Kay I get it! Stop hittin’ me!”_

Still smirking, Atsumu looks over to the bench, catching Y/N’s gaze. He puts his into the Fox sign, smiling widely when she returns the gesture. 

Turning his attention back to the match, Atsumu covers the back of his head as Osamu prepares to serve. 

After waiting the full eight seconds, Osamu sends his serve straight towards Ushijima, Ohira instantly attempts to move in front of him to receive it, being just a step to slow as the volleyball bounces off his hand and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 21] Shiratorizawa_

“Nice service ace~” Akagi cheers, patting Osamu on the back. 

“Ah, yeah.” He deadpans, before going back in position to serve. 

“You better finish this off now, ‘Samu!” Atsumu yells. “I still got more service aces than you today!” 

“Shuddup.” Osamu scowls, waiting the full 8 seconds again. This time, he aims for a net-in, startling Shirabu as he stumbles to receive it. 

“That little shi-” Scowling in annoyance, Shirabu barely manages to keep the ball in play. “Ohira-san! Cover!” 

“Got it!” 

_‘He’ll set to Number 8.’_ The Inarizaki players thinking, waiting for Ohira to toss the ball. Just as they predicted, he sends it straight to Goshiki. 

The three in the front instantly jump to block him. 

_‘Damn- three blockers-’_ Goshiki winces, panicking slightly as he hits a spike much weaker than his norm. 

It gets blocked. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 21] Shiratorizawa_

“Wow~ you’re much weaker than Ushijima-san… Are you sure you’re the next ace?” Atsumu taunts, smirking down on Goshiki who grits his teeth in annoyance. 

“WHAT WAS WITH THAT PISS-POOR SPIKE TSUTOMU?!” Coach Washijou yells, making Goshiki jump up in shock. 

“YES! NO! SORRY!” He flounders, tearing up slightly at being called out. 

“Don’t mind Tsutomu~” Tendou pats his shoulder. “We can get them back next set~” 

“R-Right!” 

“Good job takin’ the first set!” Coach Kurosu congratulates them, laughing as he sees Coach Washijou’s scowl. 

“Atsumu sure is startin’ to irk them…” Coach Oomi mumbles, making Atsumu beam widely. 

“Yep~ that’s my job! Suna hasn’t done his part yet though~” 

“I haven’t been on court.” 

“Excuses~” 

Ginjima bonks their heads to make them stop bickering. 

“Rintarou’s going on next set though, so it’s fine. You two jerks can finally do your job in annoying everyone to death.” 

Slinging an arm over Suna’s shoulders, Atsumu smirks. 

“We stan petty kings~” 

“Seems like I’m about to _stab_ petty kings.” 

“Don’t be like that N/N!” 

“No.”

“‘Kay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew~ New chapter =w=  
> It suddenly dawned on me that I have a bunch of assignments due by the end of the month... So I was worried for about 3 seconds before I got over it... XD Honestly I'm so nonchalant about legit everything, it scares my friends sometimes. But oh well~
> 
> Since I _totally_ didn't fall in love with Suna... I _definitely_ did not draw more fanart for him :) And it is _absolutely_ not [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/B9zXS3THWRP/)  
> Anyway~ Thanks for reading! I'm glad there are so many people enjoying this story so far! And yes I promise Sakusa will appear soon TT^TT But he's all the way in Tokyo ;-; (When he does appear though, his appearance rates will increase exponentially so don't worry) 
> 
> ~~~  
> [Website](https://www.universebunny.com)  
> [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6J6JytL2TaC8zGEoA0D_g)  
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/universebunny_cc/)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/universebunny)  
> [DeviantArt](https://www.deviantart.com/universebunny)


	7. Inarizaki VS Shiratorizawa Part 2

_Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Practise Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [10 – 14] Shiratorizawa_

The second set of the practise match continues, with Shiratorizawa taking the lead. Being a slow starter, Suna was slowly starting to score more, and although he still hasn’t completely blocked Ushijima yet, he’s been progressively getting more and more one-touches. 

Atsumu’s been doing a good job at annoying the Shiratorizawa members, particularly Shirabu and Goshiki. Pulling off random setter dumps, suddenly switching positions with Osamu and spiking, doing everything he can to try and shake off Tendou. But with Tendou’s instincts and experience, it’s much harder than Atsumu would like to admit. 

_“Glances, leg movements, ball handling, whatever the motion, if Tendou-senpai catches sight of it, you’re done for. You’ll need to pull every trick out of the book to try catch him off-guard… Don’t bother with feints, since he probs won’t fall for them.”_

Gritting his teeth as Tendou predicts his set to Ginjima, Atsumu scowls up at Tendou, who smirks at him tauntingly. _‘I get it N/N! This damn scumbag is so annoying!’_

_Inarizaki [10 – 15] Shiratorizawa_

Tendou rotates into the back row with a smirk, switching with Semi as the pinch server. 

“Semi-san! Give us a nice serve!” Goshiki yells. 

“Semi-semi always be servin’~” Tendou chimes. 

“Don’t call me Semi-semi!” 

Sending a powerful serve, Akagi manages to receive it but it’s short, sending it to Osamu who’s beside him. 

“Soz’! Cover-” 

“‘Samu!” Atsumu yells, calling for a toss. Mentally rolling his eyes, Osamu sends a quick set to Atsumu, scoring the point as Kawanishi jumps a little too late. 

_Inarizaki [11 – 15] Shiratorizawa_

“That toss was low ‘Samu! Stop bein’ such a scrub, scrub!” Atsumu complains. 

“Tch. It was sent to a low place anyway, if Akagi-san got it higher it woulda been fine.” 

_‘Why do I feel like he’s blamin’ me…’_ Akagi sweat-drops, walking off the court for Oomimi’s serve. Noticing Y/N beckoning him over, Akagi joins her at the bench to listen to what she has to say. 

Oomimi’s serve gets received by Ohira, and another long rally begins. 

The sounds of shoes squeaking on the gym’s floor resonates through the gym, as the players call out to each other. Light-heartedly watching in interest, Tendou takes his eyes off the match and watches Y/N grab Akagi’s arm, pulling him down to whisper instructions into his ear. 

Tendou sighs, alerting Semi who looks over at him questioningly. 

“What is it?” 

“Y/N-chan’s cute and all but… Argh she can be so annoying!” He whines, already knowing that there’s more trouble in store. 

“That’s how people feel about you.” 

“Hm? People think I’m cute?” Tendou teases. 

“No- Argh! Shut up!” 

_Inarizaki [11 – 16] Shiratorizawa_

Akagi nods towards Y/N, giving her thumbs up as he heads back onto the court, switching with Oomimi. 

“Got a message from Y/N-chan for ya, Atsumu.” 

“Oh?” Atsumu perks up in interest. “She givin’ me the okay and lettin’ me try out my float serves now?” 

“Kinda.” Akagi whispers a few instructions into Atsumu’s ear, before they move back into their positions for Shirabu’s serve. 

_Inarizaki [12 – 16] Shiratorizawa_

“Yes!” Ojiro cheers, scoring a strong spike that Shirabu failed to receive. 

“Tch.” Shirabu scowls, annoyed at the feeling of being targeted. Taking a deep breath, he quickly composes himself and focuses, mentally preparing for Atsumu’s serve. 

“Hm~ lil’ birdies worried ‘bout me?” Atsumu smirks, examining the Shiratorizawa players as they watch him carefully. His smirk dims as he concentrates. 

_‘They should be.’_

Raising his hand, Atsumu clenches his fist, silencing everyone in the gym. Slowly lifting his head to look at his opponents, he points at Goshiki. 

Startled, Goshiki nervously sweats, mentally preparing himself to receive Atsumu’s serve. It’s not common for a server to aim at someone in the front row, but knowing Atsumu’s skill, he can do it. 

Throwing the ball into the air, Atsumu’s smirk vanishes as he maintains a serious expression, slamming his hand into the ball for a spike serve. It spins with an amazing trajectory and paints the line right beside Goshiki before he can even react. 

It’s in. 

_Inarizaki [13 – 16] Shiratorizawa_

Atsumu fist bumps into the air, maintaining his serious expression, eyes trained onto Goshiki, gauging his reaction. 

“Don’t mind, Tsutomu. I probably wouldn’t have been able to get it either.” Yamagata encourages, slapping his back as he returns back to position. 

However, his encouragement falls upon deaf ears. 

_‘He’s targeting me, because I’m weak.’_

Goshiki grits his teeth as he tries to expel his insecure thoughts, shaking his head in a pitiful attempt to maintain focus. He lifts his head to focus back on the match, almost taking a step back in shock. 

Atsumu’s eyes are still trained onto him, watching his every move. He almost forgets how to breathe as Atsumu sends another spike serve his way. 

It’s a net-in. 

Goshiki dives for the ball, but he’s a second too late, again. 

_Inarizaki [14 – 16] Shiratorizawa_

“Ohh… that’s rough.” Tendou mutters, Semi nods in agreement. They glance at the coach to gauge his reaction, but even he doesn’t have the heart to say anything. 

“Yikes.” Suna snickers, turning around to high-five Atsumu, who in turn smirks at him. 

“Just followin’ orders~” He chimes, turning to look at Y/N on the bench who gives him a thumbs up. 

Taking the ball again, Atsumu doesn’t bother analysing his opponents just yet, choosing to focus completely on himself. Taking four steps from the end line, he turns around and takes a deep breath. 

In her peripheral vision, Y/N sees Tendou squint at Atsumu in interest. He’s noticed that something’s changed. 

Glancing behind to look at him, Osamu, Suna and Ginjima all turn back to face the net, covering the back of their heads before he serves, not willing to risk getting hit. Noticing the change in atmosphere, the Shiratorizawa players prepare for another powerful spike serve. 

It’s a float serve this time. 

Whether it was intentionally aimed at Goshiki or not, it drops right before he can get an overhand receive, causing him to swivel as it bounces off his shoulder and out-of-bounds. 

_Inarizaki [15 – 16] Shiratorizawa_

“A FLOAT SERVE?!” Tendou yells as the rest of his teammates groan in exasperation. 

“The ability to yield two forms of powerful serves, that is an excellent skill.” Ushijima says, making his teammates perk up at his acknowledgement. 

“Thanks Ushijima-san~!” Atsumu calls from across the net, making Shirabu and Goshiki glare at him. 

“Do you think coach’s going to call a timeout?” Yamagata questions, not willing to glance at the bench. 

“Why would he?” Ushijima questions. “Miya Atsumu’s serve is a skill that cannot be helped, we will get the next one.” 

Despite the fact that he isn’t singled out, Goshiki grits his teeth in embarrassment, and he can’t help but think; _‘L/N-senpai managed to receive that serve earlier.’_

_“Yo N/N~” Atsumu calls, walking Y/N to her bus-stop._

_“What is it, Atsumu?”_

_“Why’dja agree to practise receivin’ my serves? I doubt it’s just ‘cuz it’s a ‘power move’… You only ever do somethin’ if you got an agenda of some sort.”_

_Y/N gasps in mock offense, putting her hand on her heart. “Atsumu! I’m hurt! Do you really think I’m that sort of person?”_

_Rolling his eyes at her dramatics, Atsumu drags her along, not wanting her to miss her bus. “You haven’t been givin’ me a reason to think you ain’t.”_

_“…Well you’re not wrong.”_

_“Hm?” Atsumu tilts his head questioningly, prompting Y/N to explain._

_“Think about it Atsumu. Imagine; the manager of the opposing team, receiving a serve that you struggle to receive. Someone that’s not even a player, that can’t even go on the court. It’s utterly humiliating.”_

Goshiki nervously gets back into position, taking deep breaths as he tries to focus, it’s almost impossible though, especially when he can feel Atsumu’s eyes boring into him. 

Smirking as he watches the first year, Atsumu prepares for his fourth serve. 

_‘Isn’t it humiliating, ball-cut boy?’_

Atsumu tries another float serve, it’s not completely accurate due to lack of experience, but it manages to get over the net and heads towards Yamagata. 

“Alright!” He yells, getting an overhand receive as he sends it to Shirabu. 

“Taichi!” Shirabu tosses to Kawanishi, pulling off a one-person-time-difference-attack. However, Suna isn’t fooled. 

_Inarizaki [16 – 16] Shiratorizawa_

“Don’t worry, that would have fooled some blockers.” Suna says, smirking at Shirabu and Kawanishi as they glare at him. 

“Dayum~ We’ve caught up now! We really be petty kings.” Atsumu laughs, making Osamu and Ojiro groan. 

“Shut up about the petty kings thing.” They scowl not wanting to deal with Atsumu’s jokes. Suna just rolls his eyes, moving back to the net as he watches Kawanishi carefully. 

Even the densest players would be feeling the pressure from Suna’s persistent blocking, his sharp instinct is almost like a sixth sense for the game. Throughout the match, he’s been quickly adapting to Shiratorizawa’s pace, putting up an effective defence. And against a team like Shiratorizawa, who focuses on simple attacks and strategies, it’s not difficult. 

Ever since the beginning of the second set, Suna has been targeting Kawanishi. Utilising his entire torso to spike around his blocks, as well as blocking Kawanishi’s spikes. Anyone would start getting nervous, and start make mistakes. 

Silencing the gym once again, Atsumu prepares for his fifth serve. 

It’s a spike serve this time, and despite being taken off-guard, Goshiki manages to receive it. 

“ALRIGHT!” He yells, smiling widely as he prepares to spike. 

“Ushijima-san!” Shirabu calls, sending a high toss to Ushijima as he slams the volleyball down. 

_Inarizaki [16 – 17] Shiratorizawa_

From the bench, Y/N fangirls over Ushijima and Goshiki. “Ushijima-senpai’s so strong omg, and did you see Goshiki-san’s smile?? That was so cuteee! Must protect!” 

“Couldja not look so happy about us losin’ a point?” Coach Kurosu deadpans, shaking his head in exasperation at the Inarizaki manager. 

“And weren’t you the reason why he was lookin’ so dejected before?” Coach Oomi deadpans, slightly concerned about Y/N’s change in attitude. 

“Hey! You gotta do whatcha gotta do to win!” She pouts. “Don’t paint me like a villain, it makes me feel bad.” 

Rolling their eyes at her, they turn their attention back to the game. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 22] Shiratorizawa_

“Soz’! It’s a lil’ low!” Ginjima calls out, apologising to Atsumu. 

Crouching down, Atsumu sends an overhand toss with impressive speed and fluidity. 

“Aran!” He calls, as Ojiro jumps to spike it. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 22] Shiratorizawa_

“ALRIGHT!” Atsumu, Akagi and Ojiro cheer, jumping up in joy. Osamu and Suna do a quiet fist bump before huddling up with the rest of the team. 

Sighing in defeat, the Shiratorizawa players sheepishly avoid eye-contact with their coach, who is currently glaring at them from the bench. Heading over to the net to shake the Inarizaki player’s hands, the Shiratorizawa members can’t help but have flashbacks to the previous Spring High Tournament, when Inarizaki defeated them in straight sets. Getting a weird type of _Déjà vu_. 

“Great job guys, you did well!” Coach Kurosu says, beaming proudly at his members. “Though I’ll admit, it’s mainly ‘cuz you guys are a bad matchup for ‘em. _‘Simple is Best’_ versus _‘The Strongest Challengers’_ hm? We just got different concepts, and simple playstyles just ain’t effective against us.” 

“Oh please~ It’s like asking little swans to fight a buncha foxes, it’s obvious who’s gonna win!” Atsumu says, causing the members to roll their eyes. 

“Depends on how stupid the fox is, I guess.” Osamu mumbles, making some of the members snicker. 

“You lot are so rowdy, like a bunch of dogs at the park.” Coach Kurosu sighs. “Anyways, Y/N, what’s the stats?” 

Taking out her notebook, Y/N reads over the notes she made throughout the game. “It pains me to say, but Atsumu got the most service aces.” 

“Of course~ Hear that ‘Samu? You lost again~” 

“Aran-senpai got the most points in the first set, obviously. But Rintarou got the most points in the second set, good job dealing with Kawanishi-san by the way.” 

“T’was easy.” Suna says, mock bowing as they roll their eyes. 

“That was a sad attempt at Kansai dialect.” She deadpans, the rest of the members nodding in agreement as Suna pouts. 

“I tried.” 

“Tsutomu!” 

“Yes!” Goshiki stands up straight, nervously sweating as he prepares for Coach Washijou’s lecture. 

“Why are you so stiff?” 

“H-huh?” 

“Their number 7 caught you off guard with his serve. You will meet many strong servers during your time at Shiratorizawa, so I expect you to not freeze up next time.” Coach Washijou says, shocking the members, they were all expecting him to yell and berate Goshiki. 

“I-I’ll work hard!” He shouts, weirdly touched by Coach Washijou’s ‘encouragement’. 

Sighing, Coach Washijou sits down quietly as he lets Coach Saitou talk to the members about their game, encouraging them and giving them feedback. 

“Anyway, get ready for the next match.” 

“Huh?” 

“Do you think we came all the way here just for one practise match?” Coach Washijou deadpans, as the Shiratorizawa members have the audacity to act surprised. “We’re starting again after a break, so don’t slack off!” 

“Yes sir!” 

“Hm? You good Kenjirou-kun~?” Atsumu says walking up to Shirabu. 

“Don’t call me by my first name.” He deadpans, trying his best to ignore Atsumu, to which he smirks in response. 

“Aww~ don’t be like that! We’re all friends, ain’t that right Taichi-kun?” 

“No.” 

Casually approaching Tendou, Suna smirks widely at Tendou’s visible annoyance. 

“Good job in the match, must feel good coming second place. What’s your nickname again? _Gesu Mister_?” 

“IT’S GUESS MONSTER!” 

Tendou and Suna start a roasting match as Y/N and Ginjima sigh, not wanting to get involved with any of them. 

Kita, Ojiro and Oomimi approach Ushijima and Semi, starting a pleasant and _mature_ conversation about volleyball. Y/N wonders if it’s possible for the second years to reach that level of maturity in a year, sighing in defeat because she knows it’s impossible for Atsumu. 

Joining his brother, Osamu approaches the Shiratorizawa second years to provide assistance in berating Atsumu, smirking in amusement when Atsumu complains about him being a traitor. 

Once the third years finish talking and disperse, Y/N takes it upon herself to approach Ushijima to ask him for a picture. With Inarizaki’s idol-like following, it’s up to Y/N to update their social media accounts regularly to keep the fans happy, and a picture with Ushijima will definitely make them excited. 

“Ushijima-senpai, would it be alright if I take a picture of you?” 

“Sure.” 

_‘He didn’t even question??’_ The players in the gym sweat-drop at Ushijima’s stoic acceptance, wondering what even goes through his mind. 

“Ohh! I wanna be in the pic’ too! Come on ‘Samu let’s be in the pic’!” Atsumu drags Osamu over to Ushijima, posing while doing the fox sign with his hands. Sighing, Osamu begrudgingly does the fox sign as well, standing on the opposite side of Ushijima, who’s just standing up straight. 

Taking a few pictures from various angles, Y/N nods to herself as she assesses their quality. “These are going on the Official Inarizaki Volleyball Club Instagram and Twitter by the way, I hope you’re okay with that.” 

“It is fine.” Ushijima confirms, used to having his pictures put online. 

“‘Kay then.” 

“Y/N-chan! Do you wanna take a picture of me too? I don’t mind being on the Instagram!” Tendou bounces over to Y/N, eyes sparkling in excitement. 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Y/N laughs. “As long as you’re okay with Rintarou being in the picture too.” 

“Huh??” 

“That’s right _Gesu Mister_ , Suna stans are deprived.” Suna chimes, lazily walking over. 

“Argh fine!” 

* * *

“Thank you for the match!” The Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa teams bow to each other before starting to sluggishly pack up, tired from the matches they played. 

“Thank you so much for accepting this practise match.” Coach Saitou thanks the Inarizaki coaches profusely, bowing as he shakes their hands. 

“Haha, it’s no trouble!” Coach Kurosu laughs. “It was a pleasure!” 

“Y/N-chan! Can you give me your number?” Tendou asks energetically. 

Laughing, Y/N takes out her phone. “Sure.” 

After they exchange contacts, Y/N approaches Shirabu and Kawanishi, exchanging numbers with them too, much to Atsumu’s despair. (Every time he walks past her, he whispers _‘traitor’_ into her ear.) 

“You shouldn’t be getting’ close to the enemy N/N! What if they pay you to spill our secrets??”

“If that’s what you’re worried about, you should look for different managers.” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Think about it, I get to rant to someone about all your short comings? And I get paid? Sign me up.” 

“Argh! Don’t say that N/N!” Atsumu groans, running his hand down his face in defeat. 

After editing the pictures, Y/N posts the two chosen ones onto the Official Inarizaki Volleyball Club Instagram and Twitter. 

_**Official_Inarizaki_VBC** “Practise match with Shiratorizawa today! #miyatwins #ushiwaka #sunastans”_  
_Tagged: @miya_tsumtsum @miya_osamuu95 @ushijima_wakatoshi @sunasunasuna @miracleboiii_

Once she’s posted the pictures, Y/N glances up and almost falls onto the ground in shock. Ushijima casually stands a few metres away from her, watching her in silence. 

“Um… Can I help you?” 

“I would like to exchange contact information.” He states. 

_‘Huh?!’_ Everyone suddenly halts in their actions and snaps their attention onto Ushijima and Y/N, staring dumbfounded at the two of them. _‘Did he really just say that?? Am I hallucinating??’_

“I- um…” Suddenly flustered, Y/N tries to stutter out a response before Ushijima cuts her off. 

“Tendou said that you are an artist. He has also informed me that you produce your own merchandise. As someone who has interest in the arts, I believe it would be beneficial to have access to your contact information.” He states, face expressionless as he remains ignorant to the dumbfounded stares around him. 

“Ah- yeah… ‘Kay…” Y/N stutters, still flustered as he gives her his phone. Gingerly taking it, Y/N opens his contacts and doesn’t know if she should be surprised by the limited number of people registered. 

After typing in her contact information, Y/N hands Ushijima back his phone, catching a glimpse of a familiar name in his contacts as she does so. 

_Sakusa Kiyoomi._

_‘Oh my gosh I know Sakusa’s number now.’_ She thinks, eyes widening at the possibilities. 

“Thank you.” Ushijima bows, interrupting her thoughts before leaving to join his teammates. 

“Ah- yeah, bye?” Y/N cringes at her own awkwardness, snapping out of her thoughts. Noticing her suffering, Ginjima approaches her. 

“What’s wrong, Y/N?” 

“Hm? I was just thinkin’… I could make a lot of money selling Ushijima-senpai’s number…” She trails off, seeing Kagawa run over in an attempt to get his number. 

“…Is money all you ever think about?” He deadpans, slightly concerned. 

“Nah, sometimes I think about food.” 

“Later Y/N-chan! Let’s keep in touch!” Tendou calls, waving his arms in an exaggerated manner as Semi tries to drag him to the bus. 

“Yeah, see you later, Tendou-senpai!” Y/N calls back, laughing at his enthusiasm. 

Once the Shiratorizawa members are out of sight, Atsumu, Osamu, Suna and Ginjima suddenly appear in front of her. 

“Soooo… Shirabu Kenjirou huh?” Atsumu starts, smirking mischievously. 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N pushes their faces away before heading back to the gym. 

“I just said he’s pretty cute, that’s all.” 

“AH HA!” Atsumu and Osamu exclaim, suddenly appearing in front of her as they point at her in accusation. “So it was him!” 

“Yeah? So what?” 

“Damn… You’re trying to ruin my OTP…” Suna grumbles, taking out his phone to type some stuff in. 

“I- what?” They all turn their attention onto Suna, looking at him questioningly. 

“What? Y/N said Sakusa was, and I quote, _‘a High-Quality Handsome Man’_ when she met him last year. I’ve been shipping it ever since and nothing you say will change that.” Suna states. “Hmm… maybe I should come up with a ship name…” 

“Huh? Why Sakusa though?? Argh no!” Atsumu groans, ruffling his hair. 

“Soz’, I’m not onboard with the Sakusa x Y/N ship either.” Osamu states. 

“What? Why not? You trying to trash my OTP?” Suna scowls. 

“Yes. Dude, anyone but Sakusa! His germ-less highness can’t possibly make N/N happy!” 

_“HAVE YOU SEEN THE WAY HE LOOKS AT-”_

“Ooookay!” Y/N cuts in, pushing Atsumu and Suna apart before they can go at each other in their very intense ship war. Ginjima grips the back of Atsumu’s shirt to make sure he doesn’t attack Suna, sighing at their childishness. 

“Listen here, punks. Don’t just go shipping me with any dude that I compliment, like bruh who does that? And also, even if anything happens, it’s up to me, not you. Alrighty? Alrighty. Good, now get back to the gym before Kita murders you.” 

Dusting off her hands, Y/N starts hurrying back to the gym, not sparing them a single glance. 

She doesn’t want Kita to murder her either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oyaoyaoya? New chapter? OuO I've been super busy with other stuff, but I'm always so happy to be writing this =w= I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am! I've mapped out the future chapters now so I already got Sakusa's entrance planned HEHEHE (it won't be for a while so I'm really sorry please understand aksjhajkdha) 
> 
> Anyway~ I hope you don't think Y/N's too mean :')) I wanted her to be kind of manipulative and sly since she IS a fox :)) So please forgive her :')) I did consider making the match a full 3 set match, but I also thought that Inarizaki would be a bad match-up for Shiratorizawa because of their play styles. Keep in mind that Aoba Johsai has always lost in straight sets to Shiratorizawa too soooooo :D
> 
> And no, Ushijima isn't interested in Y/N romantically =3= I have headcanons that Ushijima's interested in art because; he was seen drawing as a kid, he drew a manga in Haikyuu-bu, and just because I think it'd be something he appreciates. So yeah~ I want them to be friends =w=
> 
> Since it's confirmed that Inarizaki has an "idol-like following" I will be using this throughout the story XD Can you just imagine all the individual fans the members have? Do you think they'd have fancams? Omg the possibilities are legit endless XD
> 
> Also, the whole Shirabu thing is also for a running joke that you'll find about soon soooo I hope you look forward to it :D (and it's also cause he's my favourite Shiratorizawa member-)
> 
> Thankyou for reading! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	8. Code Blue

After finishing a new sky drawing, Y/N quickly posts it onto her Instagram, excited to share more of her art. Instantly, her phone starts buzzing with notifications, mainly from her friends. 

_**@miracleboiii** BEAUTIFUL☆_  
_**@sunasunasuna** FIRST_  
_**@sunasunasuna** delete the tender salami’s comment_  
_**@miya_tsumtsum** 💖 💖 💖_  
_**@miracleboiii** @sunasunasuna must feel good coming second place_  
_**@miya_osamuu95** nice_  
_**@komori_libero** good job L/N-chan!_

Rolling her eyes at the middle blockers, Y/N puts her phone away and sighs to herself. She wonders how long it’ll take for her parents to notice she’s posted. 

She’s already knows they’ll yell at her. 

* * *

“Atsumu, don’t stay back too long. It’ll be bad for your health, and Y/N needs to go home too.” Kita says, tapping his feet on the floor to tighten his shoes. 

“Don’t worry Kita-senpai, I’ll make sure he doesn’t overwork.” Y/N smiles, waving him off as he walks home with Ojiro. 

Crouching close to the floor, Atsumu continues his setting drills, bending back awkwardly to practise various difficult overhand setting positions. 

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

The repetitive motions and sounds are almost soothing, and Y/N subconsciously smiles as she watches Atsumu’s concentrated practise. After a while, he lets out a quiet yelp as he falls onto the floor, the volleyball bonking him on the head. 

Chuckling at him, Y/N picks up the volleyball before going over to help him up. Pouting down at her, Atsumu quickly recovers from his shame. 

“Careful N/N, this could be our enemies to lovers arc~” 

“Careful Atsumu, this could be when the genre turns into a murder mystery.” She smiles back at him unnervingly. Involuntarily shivering, Atsumu goes back to position himself near the net, waiting for Y/N to toss him the volleyball. 

“Y’know N/N, you don’t needa be here with me every time I do extra practise.” He says, setting the ball she tossed, gesturing for another. 

“Is that your way of saying you don’t want me here?” She deadpans, dragging the volleyball cart closer to her. 

“‘Course not! Just wonderin’ is all! You don’t needa be here if it causes you trouble, I know how your parents are.” 

“Mm, I guess.” 

They fall into a comfortable silence, listening to the tapping of Atsumu’s fingers on the volleyballs, and the small bounces they make once they fall onto the floor. Once the cart’s empty, he helps her pick up some balls before starting another round of drills. 

“It’s true that you can practise by yourself…” Y/N begins. “But I wanted to keep you company, considering no one else is willing.” 

“Aww you’re worried ‘bout me bein’ lonely?” Atsumu chuckles. 

“Shut it. Sometimes we just need someone with us to motivate us to work harder, not that you have any issues with working hard.” She deadpans, mentally running over all the times Atsumu got sick from overwork. 

“Aww shucks~ It feels so nice when you’re carin’~” Atsumu teases, smiling softly. 

Y/N rolls her eyes, choosing not to respond as she tosses another volleyball. 

“I’m definitely gonna go pro, so ‘Samu will too. Aran-kun probs will go pro as well, not sure ‘bout the rest though… Maybe Akagi-san? But who knows.” Atsumu rambles, thinking out loud as he walks Y/N to her bus stop. 

“Ehh… I’m not too sure about Osamu…” Y/N mumbles, she can’t really picture Osamu becoming a professional volleyball player. 

“Hm? Whaddya mean? We always do everythin’ together~ We’ll be the Miya Twins! Best Volleyball duo! Hehe I can’t wait!” Atsumu laughs, excited at the prospect. 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N elbows him in the side. “Don’t go choosing Osamu’s career for him.” 

Huffing at her ‘affectionate gesture’ Atsumu continues rambling, talking about his day and how a few fans approached him for a picture, only to draw on his face when they posted it. Atsumu never stays on one topic for long, he goes on endless tangents about random everyday things, the only thing he ever seems to be able to focus on is volleyball. 

Y/N half listens to Atsumu as he starts ranting about how Osamu won’t let him borrow his clothes, then somehow transitions into talking about how Suna won’t stop sending him cryptic memes that he doesn’t understand. 

His ranting is cut short when Y/N interrupts him. 

“Hmm… Rintarou huh?” 

Stopping mid-speech, Atsumu looks over to Y/N questioningly. “Huh?” 

“Rintarou, I wonder what he’s gonna do once he graduates…” She trails off, trying to picture Suna in various jobs. Doctor? Nah he’d just make puns about their pain. Random office worker? Nah he’d just sleep in the office. 

Atsumu and Y/N try rake their brains for possible future occupations that Suna could have. 

Food delivery guy?? Nah he’d just eat it himself. Oh gosh, bartender? Pfft- he’d just spike everyone’s drinks and film them drunk. 

“Pfft-!” Atsumu suddenly laughs, cutting Y/N out of her thoughts. 

“What?” 

“Imagine if Suna went pro omg I’m _wheezin’_ -” True to his word, Atsumu starts doubling over with laughter, and Y/N can’t help but chuckle. 

“Dude I can’t get that image out of my head now!” She laughs, hitting his shoulder. “Rintarou? Pro? That lazy boy? Damn, that’d be a sight to see.” 

“I know right?” He laughs, wiping away his tears. “I can’t imagine it~” 

* * *

Dinner is always slightly awkward at the L/N residence, Y/N just wants to get through her day without being belittled or dismissed. It seems like it’s always too much to ask though. 

Avoiding eye-contact with her parents and siblings, Y/N tries to eat as quietly as possible, not wanting to attract their attention. Her older sister glances at her, sensing her discomfort, but as usual, she chooses to offer no help. 

“Why are you still drawin’?” Her father’s question causes Y/N to flinch slightly, subconsciously gripping her chopsticks harder to try and suppress any form of outward reaction. 

“You’re so smart, you have so much talent, it would be wasteful to not use that talent.” Her mother states, sighing slightly. “If you have the skills to do good in the world, you should use them, don’t be selfish.” 

“I know.” Y/N replies, knowing that if she remains silent it’ll just agitate them. 

“Don’t worry, it’s just a faze. She’ll realise it soon enough.” Her sister cuts in, smiling encouragingly at her, Y/N can only scowl internally, keeping her face neutral and devoid of all emotions. 

“That’s true, but she’s just wastin’ time. She should be using this time to study towards being a doctor.” 

Gritting her teeth, Y/N can feel her patience wearing thin, but she’s used to it. Remaining silent, Y/N continues to eat her dinner, letting her mind wander to a different place. 

It’s no secret that her parents don’t approve of art as a career path, they’ve always wanted her to be doctor, or something ‘professional’ and ‘realistic’. Apparently, it’s a ‘waste’ to have the skills to be a doctor, but not to use it. _‘But if it’s a waste to not use your skills… wouldn’t be a waste to dismiss her skills for art too? Or does that not count?’_

“What’s wrong, Y/N?” Her mother asks. 

“I’m just thinkin’.” Y/N states, keeping her answers short and curt. 

“Hmm… if you think a little harder, maybe you’ll realise you’re just wastin’ time.” 

“What if I’m not? What if I’m serious? What if drawin’ makes me happy?” Y/N accidentally blurts out, instantly regretting it. But she decides to stick by her words. 

“Of course we want you to be happy.” Her father smiles at her. “We love you, we just want the best for you. We’re not against you drawin’, you can do it as a hobby after you become a doctor. You’ll have plenty of time then.” 

“Trust us Y/N, we’re your parents. I carried you for 9 months, I know you better than you know yourself.” Her mother encourages, beaming brightly at her. 

_‘You carried me for 9 months, but I lived inside me for 17 years.’_

Face-planting into her pillow, Y/N internally screams into the empty void inside her. She hugs her pillow close, chanting empty words to herself in attempts to make herself calm down. 

_‘I feel like crying… but even if I wanted to, no tears come out anyways…’_

An eerie silence falls upon her room, so silent that Y/N’s ears start hyper-focusing on her breathing. Feeling a sudden chill, Y/N shivers as she grips her pillow tighter, although she loves the cold, for some reason, the chill doesn’t feel nice at all. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

Feeling her phone buzzing in her pocket, Y/N lazily takes it out, feeling it continue buzzing repeatedly. Rolling her eyes, Y/N unlocks her phone, already knowing where the notifications are from. 

**Barbie & The 3 Musketeers + Lord Y/N**

_Barbie-tsum:_ guys whats the hw?? Samu wont tell me!  
_Pappa Miya:_ dont tell him  
_Mum:_ why didn’t you ask me in class today…  
_Memewide SunaStar:_ cuz he dumb  
_Memewide SunaStar:_ duh  
_Barbie-tsum:_ N/N HELP ME  
_Barbie-tsum:_ **@MyLord @MyLord @MyLord** I CAN SEE YOU READING  
_Barbie-tsum:_ **@MyLord** RESPOND

Rolling her eyes, Y/N sighs as she responds. 

_MyLord:_ sorry…  
_Barbie-tsum:_ ???  
_MyLord:_ code blue…

Instantly all four of them start typing. 

_Mum:_ are you ok Y/N? What’s wrong??  
_Pappa Miya:_ is everything ok  
_Barbie-tsum:_ do you wanna call?  
_Barbie-tsum:_ Samu and I are here 

**Suna** changes his nickname to _Mmm watcha sayyy_

 _Barbie-tsum:_ NOT THE TIME SUNA  
_Mmm watcha sayyy:_ soz  
_Mmm watcha sayyy:_ you good Y/N?  
_MyLord:_ not really… but I’ll get over it  
_Pappa Miya:_ parents again?

 **Suna** changes **Y/N** ’s nickname to _SadLord_

 _SadLord:_ yeah…  
_Barbie-tsum:_ I SAID ITS NOT THE TIME SUNA  
_Mum:_ don’t worry Y/N  
_Mmm watcha sayyy:_ **@Barbie-tsum** it’s always time to meme  
_Mum:_ we’re here for you, we’ll even line up to hug you tomorrow if you want  
_Pappa Miya:_ yeah what Gin said  
_Barbie-tsum:_ I AINT LINING UP  
_Barbie-tsum:_ YOU BETTER BE PREPARED **@SadLord**

 **Suna** changes **Atsumu** ’s nickname to _Desperate_

 _Desperate:_ I’LL GIVE YOU THE BIGGEST HUG  
_Desperate:_ oi  
_Pappa Miya:_ it suits you  
_Desperate:_ SHUDDUP SAMU  
_SadLord:_ you didn’t need to change his name **@Mmm watcha sayyy**  
_SadLord:_ we already knew  
_Mmm watcha sayyy:_ we been knew  
_Mum:_ I’m muting this chat  
_Mum:_ **@SadLord** message me if you need someone to talk to 

Y/N smiles at their antics, already feeling a little better. Although she’s still a little sombre, she chuckles under her breath, knowing Atsumu will be true to his word. 

She keeps chatting with them, smiling every now and then. Of course her boys know how to make her feel better, they’re always there for her. Once it’s her bedtime, Y/N tells them that she needs to get ready for bed. They all know she’s not actually going to sleep though. 

Creeping back to her room, Y/N looks under her door to see a soft light outside. Rolling up a small rug on the floor, Y/N jams the rug under her door, making sure that the light in her room can’t be seen from outside. 

Once she’s satisfied, Y/N tiptoes over to her desk, opening her laptop so she can begin drawing. It’s a shame that she needs to be so secretive, but what else can she do? If this is what she needs to endure, so be it. 

Every time she hears footsteps outside her room, Y/N’s heart quickens in fear, preparing to shut everything down and dive into bed. Luckily, no one tries to check up on her. 

As the hours pass, Y/N decides that it’s time to finally sleep, not wanting Akagi to deal with a dead Y/N on the bus. Saving her work three times, Y/N quietly packs away her things and goes to remove the rug under the door. 

Quietly flopping onto her bed, Y/N starts checking all her apps. 

She’s not sleeping anytime soon. 

Somehow finding herself watching cooking videos, Y/N groans when she starts feeling hungry, mentally cursing herself for watching food videos. 

Seeing Osamu online, Y/N messages him. 

**Onigiri Smuggler** • _Active_

 _Satan:_ **Video Clip**  
_Satan:_ this made me so hungry  
_Satan:_ so you have to suffer too  
_Onigiri Smuggler:_ N/N  
_Onigiri Smuggler:_ its 2am  
_Satan:_ so?  
_Onigiri Smuggler:_ feck u  
_Satan:_ whoa no need for the hostility  
_Satan:_ shouldn’t you be sleeping?  
_Onigiri Smuggler:_ why  
_Satan:_ since you’re an athlete…  
_Onigiri Smuggler:_ so  
_Satan:_ Kita-senpai will be so impressed

_Read at 2:13am_

_Satan:_ coward. 

_Read at 2:15am_

Rolling her eyes, Y/N plugs her phone into the charger and turns on all six of her alarms before snuggling into bed. Hopefully she’ll wake up on time. 

* * *

Walking into morning practise with Akagi, Y/N really should have expected this. 

“N/NNNN! COME ‘ERE MY POOR-ACK!” Atsumu gets shoved aside by Osamu, and Y/N sweat-drops when he nonchalantly walks over his body to go and hug her. 

“I hope you’re feelin’ a lil’ better, N/N.” 

“Ah. Yeah.” She deadpans, watching Atsumu remain still on the floor. _‘Is he okay?’_

Paying no mind to body on the floor, Suna also walks over Atsumu to approach her and gives her a hug. “Can’t do anything about your home life but, we got you a dead body if that makes you feel better.” 

Suna and Osamu do jazz-hands as they gesture to Atsumu’s body on the floor, Ginjima stands beside him, nudging his body with his feet. 

“Why is Atsumu lyin’ on the floor?” Kita asks, suddenly appearing behind them. Atsumu abruptly revives from the dead and stands up straight. 

“No reason, I just tripped, Kita-san.” Atsumu answers, seemingly unscathed. 

“I see. Don’t waste any time, get warmed up for practise.” 

“Yessir!” The second years start scrambling around and start getting warmed up, not wanting to disappoint Kita. Akagi snickers at their fear. 

“I’m gonna get changed, Y/N-chan. Have fun lookin’ after ‘em.” He smiles, patting her shoulder as he walks into the change room. 

Sighing to herself, Y/N walks over to the coaches to see if there’s anything they need her to do. Her plans change once she gets a phone call. 

_Shirofuku Yukie_

_‘Fukurodani’s manager?’_ Y/N mentally questions, waving the coaches over and showing them her phone so they can see. Once they give her the okay, she walks outside to talk to her. 

“Hello?” 

_“L/N-san~ How are you?”_ Shirofuku’s lazy voice calls, sounding bored as usual. 

“I’ve been well, thank you. How about you, Shirofuku-senpai?” 

_“Yeah I’ve been good too. Listen, Coach wants to arrange a practise match with your team, when are you available to come to Tokyo?”_

* * *

“Never have I ever… laughed at a joke Atsumu made.” Suna says. 

“Argh…” Begrudgingly, both Atsumu and Osamu put their fingers down, causing Ginjima to sigh. 

“Isn’t it depressin’ how Atsumu laughs at his own jokes…?” He asks. 

“If he doesn’t laugh, who will? Oh wait. Seems like Osamu will.” Y/N teases, smirking as Osamu glares at her. He mouths _‘f*ck you’_ , making her smirk even wider. 

The second years are playing ‘Never have I ever’ while on the bus to Tokyo, trying to keep themselves occupied before Kita makes them nap, like Kagawa and Inoue are at the front of the bus. 

Seated beside Oomimi, Kita continues reading his school textbook, impressing his teammates with his dedication to his studies. 

“Shinsuke, y’know we don’t needa study now…” Akagi says, trailing off sheepishly when Ojiro gestures for him to shut up. 

“I am usually studyin’ at this time. It would be wise for me to stick by my daily routines, regardless of location.” Kita says, not looking up from his textbook. 

Sweat-dropping, Akagi decides to not comment further. He mimes zipping his lips when he looks at Ojiro, who rolls his eyes in response. 

Continuing with their game, the second years eye each other competitively, mentally agreeing that they want Atsumu to lose first. 

On his last finger, Atsumu scowls at them, completely aware of their mental agreement. 

“Never have I ever… had a brother.” Ginjima says, smirking tauntingly at Atsumu as he begrudgingly puts his last finger down, Osamu sighs as he puts his second-to-last finger down. 

“Argh! Wouldja stop targetin’ me??” Atsumu groans, ruffling his hair in frustration. 

“Oi Y/N, put your finger down.” Suna says, nudging her with his foot from his seat adjacent to her. 

“No.” She deadpans. 

“Whaddya mean no??” Atsumu questions, borderline hysterical from losing. 

“He said _‘a’_ brother, I’ve got two.” She says, dead eyes boring into his soul. 

They stare at her, speechless. _‘Is she for real?’_ They deadpan, but of course Y/N would pull dirty moves like this, that’s just how she is. After a moment of silence, they finally sigh in defeat. 

“Argh! Fine!” Ginjima groans. 

Y/N internally laughs manically. _‘They’re so stupid. Obviously there was a time when I only had one brother… That’s how little brothers work.’_

* * *

Chilling in the second year boy’s room, Y/N leisurely lounges on Suna’s bed, lazily scrolling through memes as he finishes unpacking his things. 

“Don’t you need to unpack your things too?” He deadpans, gesturing to his teammates who are also in the midst of unpacking. 

“Ya, why?” She asks. 

“Shouldn’t you go back to your room?” 

“Ya, why?” 

“You do realise you can just come back to our room when you finish unpacking in your room, right?” 

“Ya, why?” 

“Are you excited because we’re going to Itachiyama in two days, so you’re here to tell me about all your heartfelt feelings for their ace?” 

“Ya- wait. What?” Suddenly paying attention, Y/N glares at Suna as he smirks down on her. 

“Oh I see, I’m glad.” He says, condescendingly. “Well don’t hold yourself back, go on.” 

“I hate you.” 

“That’s nice, now back to Sakusa…” 

“What ‘bout Sakusa?” Perking up at the mention of the name, Atsumu suddenly joins their conversation, causing Y/N to groan. 

“I’m going back to my room.” She deadpans, not sparing any of them a glance. Watching as she leaves, the remaining second years all turn to Suna, looking at him questioningly as he smiles innocently. 

“What’d you say to piss her off?” Osamu asks, sounding disinterested. 

“Does it matter?” Suna continues to smile innocently. “We should get a good night’s rest anyway, we’re playing Fukurodani tomorrow morning.” 

“Argh, you’re soundin’ like Kita-san now…” Atsumu groans, face-planting into his bed. 

“What about me?” Kita’s cold voice cuts in. 

“KITA-SAN!” Suddenly jumping up, Atsumu hits his head on Osamu’s top bunk, silently groaning in pain as he tries to turn to face Kita. 

“Are you alright, Atsumu?” Kita asks, slightly concerned. Ojiro just facepalms at his stupidity from behind Kita. 

“Mmm… S’kay…” Atsumu groans, holding his head in pain. 

“I see. If you need ice for your head, I’ll go get some for you. Be sure to get a good night’s rest tonight, we’re playin’ Fukurodani tomorrow mornin’”. He says, unaware that those were Suna’s exact words earlier. 

“We got it, Kita-san. G’night Aran, Kita-san.” Ginjima says, waving them off as they leave. 

“…You good, Atsumu?” Ginjima asks, slightly concerned for him, ignoring Osamu and Suna who are snickering at his pain. 

“Yep yep… I’m fine…” Atsumu groans, flopping back onto his bed. “I’ma just pass out now and destroy those owls tomorrow.” 

“Even in pain, his personality’s still trashy.” Osamu comments, Ginjima and Suna nodding in agreement. 

“SHUDDUP ‘SAMU!” 

“Haha~ those boys sure are noisy.” Kagawa laughs, hearing their bickering from across the hall. 

Sighing in defeat, Y/N finishes packing her things and flops onto Kagawa’s bed, who in turn starts patting her head. 

“There there~ Those kids’ll crash soon.” She encourages, smiling lightly at Inoue who’s across the room. She’s still scared of Y/N. 

Nudging Y/N slightly, she subtly gestures towards Inoue, mentally telling Y/N that this is a good opportunity to bond. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Y/N gets off of Kagawa’s bed smiles at Inoue. 

“How are you findin’ the team, Inoue-chan?” She asks, smiling charmingly. “It’s a little difficult at first but I’m sure you’ll adapt well! You’ve been doing an amazing job so far!” 

Flustered, Inoue beams brightly at her. “Thank you L/N-senpai! I-I’ve been workin’ hard!” 

Sighing in satisfaction, Kagawa’s relieved that Y/N’s putting in a little effort to make her feel more welcome. Y/N always knows what to say to people. 

* * *

“Thank you for having us!” That Inarizaki team bows as they enter Fukurodani’s gym. Once pleasantries have been exchanged, both teams start warming up. 

“It’s so nice to see you two again~” Shirofuku calls as she walks over to the Inarizaki managers. 

“Nice to see you too, Shirofuku-senpai.” Y/N and Kagawa smile. “I see you’ve got a new manager for your team?” 

“Hm? Yeah~ this is Suzumeda Kaori-chan~” 

“Nice to meet you three!” She smiles, shaking their hands. 

“Nice to meet you as well.” They respond. “This is Inoue Chika, she’s also a first year.” 

“Please take care of me!” 

Once they finish chatting, they head back to their respective teams to prepare for the practise match. It appears as though word of the Fukurodani VS Inarizaki practise match has spread, due to the almost celebrity status of the teams. A small crowd starts forming on the bleachers. 

Sighing, Y/N mentally groans. “Would it kill y’guys to stop bein’ such attention magnets?” 

“Can’t help bein’ this amazin’~” Atsumu chimes, causing everyone to roll their eyes. Laughing slightly, Shirofuku approaches Y/N, Akaashi following behind her. 

“Your Kansai dialect is so cute, L/N-chan~” She calls, making Y/N pout. 

“…I’ve been tryin’ to convert to Tokyo dialect like you guys…” She mumbles. 

“Eh? But why? It’s cute.” Shirofuku says, blinking in surprise. “Anyway, coach wanted me to thank you for agreeing to the practise match.” 

“Ah, it’s no problem.” Y/N smiles awkwardly, not knowing if she should address Akaashi or not. 

“Thank you very much.” He says, making Y/N look straight into his eyes. 

Maintaining eye-contact, she smiles slightly at him. _‘He’s too pretty…’_ It’s taking all her mental willpower to stop herself from getting visibly flustered. 

Once they bid farewell, Y/N lets out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Akaashi Keiji is too gorgeous. 

“Argh.” Y/N’s groans attract her teammates attention, who look at her questioningly. “You’d think that bein’ around pretty boys every day, I’d be used to lookin’ at beauty… But he’s so gorgeous, oh no.” 

“Are you talking about their setter?” “You think we’re pretty?” 

“Yes.” She responds, sighing deeply in defeat. They’re never going to let her live this down. 

“We’ll question about their setter later but…” Atsumu trails off. 

“Who’s the prettiest on the team?” Osamu finishes, watching her every move in interest. 

“Me.” Y/N doesn’t miss a beat, staring at them with dead eyes in attempts to make them back down. However, they’re too curious to fear for their lives. 

“Alrighty then, who’s the prettiest guy on the team?” 

At this point, all the members are watching Y/N carefully, even the coaches are interested in knowing her answer. Realising that she has no choice but to respond, Y/N groans loudly before answering. 

“…Rintarou.” 

“WHAT?!?” Atsumu screeches, while the rest of the members nod in agreement. 

“Yeahhh boiiii~” Suna says, smirking at Atsumu in victory. 

“Argh… fine, that’s an acceptable answer.” Atsumu begrudgingly admits. 

“Good. Now can we start the practise match?” She deadpans, glaring at the coaches for not saving her. They sheepishly avoid her eyes, not wanting to admit that they want to hear the gossip and drama. 

“Hey hey hey! Let’s have a great match!” Bokuto cheers, dramatically throwing his jacket in the air, Akaashi catches it in the background. 

Not wanting to disappoint their fans, both teams are wearing their volleyball uniforms instead of the standard bibs. 

“Let’s destroy these owls.” Atsumu says, preparing for his serve. 

And just like that, the Fukurodani VS Inarizaki practise match began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fukurodani already? OuO I'm trying to quicken the pace a bit since I think most of the characters have been established now~ I don't want to drag out the chapters too much :')) 
> 
> Good news is, now they're in Tokyo for a while! :D And... you know who's in Tokyo... 😏😏😏 huehuehue~ XD I probably won't focus too much on the specifics of the Fukurodani VS Inarizaki match since it's pretty exhausting mapping out rotations and everything :'))
> 
> I hope you like the nicknames I chose for the members XD It's kind of lame that I laugh at my own jokes, but I can't help but smirk every time I read _"Barbie-tsum"_ XD And Osamu's nickname _"Pappa Miya"_ is a weird version of "Mamma Mia!" XDD
> 
> Anyway~ every time I introduce pre-existing characters, I reread all the manga chapter's they're in so I can accurately portray their personalities, and so I know their volleyball rotations and how they address each other etc etc. So I reread the Fukurodani VS Mujinazaka match and omg it was such an emotional roller-coaster :')) even though I've read it before :'))) But... I will admit... Every time Akaashi appeared... argh he's too pretty... I don't even know what it is about him, but he's so gorgeous :')) I ended up spamming my friend about Akaashi and she had to keep reminding me to keep my eyes on Sakusa XDD (She's lowkey worried that I'm going to suddenly change this into an Akaashi or Tsukishima fanfic since I talk about them so much aksjdhajkd)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! And thank you to everyone that comments :')) You have no idea how encouraging it is to read your comments :')) Literally, they motivate me to write so much! So thank you! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	9. Tokyo Teams

_Fukurodani – Inarizaki Practise Match – First Set_  
_Fukurodani [13 – 14] Inarizaki_

Y/N remains unnervingly silent as she continues to analyse the match in front of her. Unfortunately, Fukurodani doesn’t have any clear weaknesses, other than the emotionally unpredictable Bokuto. She doesn’t want to admit it out loud, but she doesn’t have any solid strategies to counter them. 

“Y’know, we don’t always have to target the opponent’s mentality to win. Our team’s plenty strong.” Coach Kurosu says, not taking his eyes off the match, she sighs in defeat. 

“…The only thing I can think of is gettin’ Rintarou to use his annoyin’ skills on Bokuto-senpai, but from the looks of it he’s got his own agenda.” 

Suna’s been consistently blocking Bokuto’s cross shot, forcing him to only hit straights. Y/N’s not completely sure if this is part of his strategy or he’s just being lazy with his decision making. Regardless, he’s coordinated his movements with Akagi, so it’s no issue. 

“Hm… You’re only thinkin’ of targetin’ Bokuto? Usually you aim for the setter…” Coach Oomi trails off in thought, watching as Suna scores a beautifully angled spike. 

“Eh, that’s true. But it seems like Akaashi-san’s kinda difficult to break, y’know? Maybe if the stakes of the match were higher, then he’d start breakin’ from the pressure… But he seems totally calm and collected right now.” She says, observing the current rally carefully. 

“Atsumu’s got him in check anyway. Just watchin’ Atsumu’s skills up close is like a punch to the face.” 

_Fukurodani [21 – 23] Inarizaki_

Both powerhouse teams keep going head-to-head with unwavering strength, exciting the crowd in the bleachers. While both teams seem equally matched so far, it’s well known that the Inarizaki team is a slow starter, and with Suna and Ojiro slowly warming up their engines, it’ll only get harder for Fukurodani. 

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto cheers, hyping up the crowd. He’s been performing really well today, consistently hitting clean straights to avoid Suna’s blocks, and with Suna in the back row, Inarizaki’s blocking now relies on Oomimi. 

Switching with Akagi, Suna walks towards the benches when Y/N beckons him over. 

“Good job blockin’ the cross.” She says blandly, mentally questioning if he’s just being lazy. 

“Thanks.” He’s totally just being lazy with his decision making. 

“Y’need to take matches more seriously, Suna. You can’t just keep slackin’ off and lookin’ for easy solutions.” Coach Kurosu scolds, sighing at Suna’s lack of ambition. 

He just shrugs in response. 

“Anyway, when you’re rotated back into the front lines, it’ll probs be set point for us. I think that’d be a good time to switch and block the straight instead.” Y/N says, carefully observing the match as it continues. 

“I mean sure but… Why?” He asks. _‘Do I have to?’_

“Yes, you have to.” She scowls, somehow hearing his silent question. “Bokuto-senpai’s the kind of player that gets fixated on one thing. Since you’ve been doing a great job blockin’ the cross, he’s been continuously hittin’ straights. He probably won’t be able to hit many good cross shots right now.” 

“Makes sense.” Suna nods. _‘What other devious thing are you thinking…’_

“Plus…” She continues. 

_‘Ah, there it is.’_

“He’s well-known for his cross shots, right? If we’re pretty much invitin’ him to hit an easy shot he should be great at, it’s mortifying isn’t it? It’d be embarrassing even if he hits it in… but if he doesn’t…” She chuckles darkly to herself, making the poor reserve players shiver in fear at her wickedness. 

Suna stares at her blankly, he knew she’d be thinking of something like this. 

“…You’re kind of scary.” 

“Aww! You’re too kind~” She smiles brightly, giving everyone emotional whiplash. How can she change her personality so quickly?? 

“Honestly, I’d hate for you to be on another team.” Suna sighs. “Guess you wouldn’t fit though, you’re too much of a fox.” 

“Of course. I only aim to please my people.” She says dryly. 

“Guess that’s why they call you ‘Foxy’.” He smirks, knowing how much she hates the nickname. Groaning loudly, Y/N faceplants into her notebook. 

_“I hate that nickname.”_

_Fukurodani [23 – 24] Inarizaki_

With Fukurodani scoring their 23rd point, Suna gets rotated into the front row. Comically, he salutes Y/N as he walks onto the court, making Y/N roll her eyes. 

The rally begins as Oomimi aims his serve at Bokuto, but their libero gets it. Y/N keeps her eyes glued to the court, ignoring the cheers of the onlookers on the bleachers, in her peripheral vision she can vaguely see other Tokyo volleyball clubs watching, but she pays them no mind. She can have a better look later. 

“One touch!” Fukurodani’s middle blocker calls, irritating Atsumu and Ginjima. 

“Bokuto-san!” Akaashi calls, tossing to Bokuto. 

Instantly, Suna, Osamu and Ginjima jump to block the straight, surprising Akaashi and Bokuto with their change in tactics, Akagi positions himself to receive the cross. 

Gritting his teeth, Bokuto alters his form mid-air for a cross shot and hits the volleyball with an angle so sharp Y/N almost thinks he dislocated his shoulder. 

Out. 

_Fukurodani [23 – 25] Inarizaki_

“ARGH!” Bokuto yells, ruffling his hair in despair. 

“Whoa…” Y/N breathes out in awe, even thought Bokuto hit it out, it was an insanely impressive cross shot. She underestimated him. 

“Oi.” Atsumu snaps, pulling her out of her trance. “Don’t go fangirlin’ for the opponent. At least congratulate us for winnin’ the first set.” 

“Congrats.” She deadpans, before turning to Suna to hand him his water bottle. 

Looking down at her with a blank expression, Suna grabs his bottle while maintaining eye-contact with Y/N. Taking the silent challenge, they continue to stare each other down as they attempt to win at their impromptu tug-of-war game, hands shaking as they struggle to maintain their grip on the drink bottle while pulling it. 

Rolling his eyes at their childishness, Ginjima jabs both of them in the side, making them drop the water bottle. A small bit of water splashes onto Suna’s leg from the impact. 

“You have now been cleansed.” She deadpans, causing him to roll his eyes as he picks up his drink bottle. 

Hearing some snickering, Y/N quickly glances up to look at the bleachers. _‘Ah, Tokyo volleyball clubs.’_ The red tracksuits stand out, but she can’t help but notice the green tracksuits beside them. _‘Nekoma? Nohebi? I think?’_ She vaguely recalls, having watched some of their previous matches. 

Shrugging it off, she goes back to attending to her teammates in preparation for the second set. 

_Fukurodani – Inarizaki Practise Match – Second Set_  
_Fukurodani [7 – 11] Inarizaki_

 _‘Ah, it’s Bokuto’s emo mode.’_

“Akaashi…” He mumbles. “DON’T TOSS TO ME ANYMORE!” 

Inarizaki watches the Fukurodani team in interest, wondering how they’re going to react. They all look so done with Bokuto. 

Calling a timeout, the Fukurodani team just watches Bokuto in despair, he hasn’t been able to hit a clean cross in yet. Meanwhile, the Inarizaki team stands around their coaches idly, listening to any feedback or advice they’re given. 

“What tactic should we use?” Shirofuku whispers to Akaashi, who’s too busy facepalming to think of a solution. “Your tosses have been great so… maybe we’ll use the pretty girl tactic?” 

“Pretty girl tactic, huh?” Akaashi mumbles, raking his brain for a solution. He quickly scans the crowd in the bleachers before glancing at the Inarizaki bench. An idea occurs. 

Approaching Bokuto, Akaashi really hopes this’ll work. 

“Bokuto-san, what seems to be the matter?” He asks, prompting Bokuto to talk. 

“Eh… well… I just keep trying to hit crosses! But they’re not working properly!” He complains, flailing his arms around in a spiking motion. “They’re not going in! Don’t toss to me anymore!” 

“Bokuto-san…” Akaashi begins, making his whole team look at him in interest. “Isn’t Inarizaki’s manager pretty?” 

“Huh?” 

“Huh?” 

_“HUH?!”_ The Inarizaki members screech, turning to Akaashi in shock. He pays them no mind as he continues. 

“She’s pretty, isn’t she? She’s been watching you the whole match, Bokuto-san, waiting for you to hit one of your cool cross shots. Don’t you want to show her how cool you are, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi says, mentally praying that this will work. 

“She has?” 

“I have?” 

_‘She hasn’t!’_ The Fukurodani members screech internally, Y/N’s been watching everyone, but knowing Bokuto he probably doesn’t care for details. 

“I see… Then I can’t disappoint! I’ll hit the best spikes! Be sure to watch me! HEY HEY HEY!” Bokuto yells. 

“Hey hey hey…” His teammates cheer, less enthusiastically. 

Silently sighing, Akaashi allows himself to feel a little relieved. _‘I’m so sorry, L/N-san.’_

On the Inarizaki bench, the members blankly glance at each other, not sure how to react, they’re not even sure if that really happened. They turn to Y/N, just to find that she’s been reduced to a blushing mess. 

“Did… did he just call Y/N-chan pretty…?” Ojiro questions, still in shock. 

“Yes, he did say that.” Suna confirms, watching Y/N carefully, preparing to take his phone out to film if the need arises. 

“Huh?! What’re they tryna do??” Atsumu scowls, snapping out of his shock and suddenly feeling protective. 

“Is he flirtin’ with her…?” Osamu mumbles, adding fuel to the fire. 

“Oi, stay focused here!” Coach Kurosu calls, sighing in defeat when they ignore him. He facepalms as he sits back down, waiting for them to finish their discussion, Coach Oomi pats his back in attempts to comfort him. 

Observing the situation carefully, Kita finally has something to say. “You appear to be very flustered, Y/N.” 

Flinching in surprise at being called out, Y/N tries to stutter out excuses. “I um… uhh well… I um…” 

“Oi, you’re totally flustered! Stop that!” Atsumu scowls, getting irritated by her floundering. 

“Bruh, it’s not my fault!” She hisses, glancing around to make sure no one else is listening. “Imagine if someone that beautiful suddenly said you were pretty! How would you feel??” 

“Huh?? I call you pretty all the time!” 

“Oh my apologies!” She exclaims sarcastically. “What I meant was, imagine if someone beautiful and gentlemanly called you pretty.” 

“What’re you tryna say???” 

“Alright playtime’s over.” Coach Kurosu cuts in, having run out of patience. Pushing them apart, he can only sigh in exasperation. “You two can go back to gossipin’ after, please just focus on the match right now.” 

_Fukurodani – Inarizaki Practise Match – Second Set_  
_Fukurodani [25 – 22] Inarizaki_

Coach Kurosu facepalms and lets out a long sigh, Osamu just served a super out. 

“THIS AIN’T BASEBALL! NOBODY ASKED FOR A HOME-RUN SERVE ‘SAMU!” Atsumu yells. 

Gritting his teeth, Osamu scowls back at his brother. _‘It’s not like you’ve never done this before…!’_

“It’s ‘coz you keep spoutin’ garbage!” Ojiro yells, smacking the back of Atsumu’s head. 

“Owugh-!” 

Choosing to ignore the bickering brothers, Y/N hands Oomimi and Akagi their water bottles, not wanting to deal with childishness. 

“From now on, please pretend I’m a third year.” She deadpans as she hands Oomimi his bottle, causing him to blink in surprise. 

“You seem to fit in perfectly with the second years though.” He says, making her pout. “I don’t mean it in an insultin’ way, you just have a strong bond with them. 

“Ren, she’ll take that as an insult anyway.” Akagi laughs, patting Y/N on the head as he takes his bottle. 

Grumbling under her breath, Y/N sighs, she’s already exhausted from this practise match. 

“Thank you for the match!” Both teams bow towards each other before starting to pack up the equipment. After finishing their third set, both teams agreed on playing a 5-set match, and now they’re all exhausted. 

Despite not being a player, Y/N looks equally as exhausted as the members, just less sweaty. She sighs deeply as she packs away her notebook, she can analyse the data later. 

Cheerfully approaching her, Shirofuku chuckles under her breath when she see’s Y/N’s tired expression. “It’s almost like you were the one that played that match~” 

“I honestly think that might be less exhaustin’ than babysittin’ these kids.” Y/N drawls, vaguely gesturing towards her teammates. 

“Haha~ must be tough. We’re all exhausted just taking care of Bokuto, but you’ve got all sorts of troublemakers on your team.” 

“Don’t remind me…” 

“Ah, L/N-san.” Akaashi calls, making Y/N straighten up as she looks at him. “Sorry for using you earlier, it’s difficult getting Bokuto-san out of his moods when he gets like that. I apologise if I made you uncomfortable. 

“Huh? O-oh.” She says dumbly, in her peripheral vision she sees Shirofuku smirk at her. “No it’s fine, I was just shocked.” 

“Shooketh.” Suna whispers from behind her, she resists the urge to turn and punch him. 

“I’m glad then, I’ll see you around.” Akaashi bows slightly as he walks away, Y/N finds herself awkwardly waving him off. 

_‘Now’s not the time for my social awkwardness to show!’_ She mentally berates herself, groaning internally at her anxiety. 

Taking out a piece of paper from her pocket, Shirofuku grabs Y/N’s hand and gives it to her, snapping her out of her anxiety infested thoughts. Staring at the paper in interest, Y/N glances up at Shirofuku, tilting her head questioningly. 

“Um…?” 

“It’s Akaashi’s number.” 

“I’m sorry _what_.” 

“It’s Akaashi’s number, I know you’re not going to ask him yourself, so I took the liberty of giving it to you~ You’re welcome by the way! Oh, and I also gave him yours if your wondering~” 

“Isn’t this an invasion of privacy?” Y/N deadpans, questioning if her actions are ethical or not. 

“Maybe~” She chimes lazily before turning around and waving at her. “I’m going to go help out my team now, they’re going for a jog after so yeah. See you later L/N-chan~!” 

“Ah... yeah… See’ya later…” Y/N mumbles, turning her attention to the paper in her hand. 

_‘Did I just set up?’_

* * *

“And then she just gave you his number??” Atsumu asks in interest. 

“Yep.” She deadpans, sighing as she rests her head on Osamu’s shoulder. The whole day’s been really draining so far, and it’s only lunch time. 

Currently sitting beside Osamu on the bus back to their hotel, Y/N scowls in distain at her notebook, she was planning on analysing the data while on the ride back but all she wants to do now is sleep. 

“You don’t needa force yourself to work y’know.” Osamu says, drawing her attention, she peeks at him from the corner of her eye. “I know you’re tired, so just take a break for the rest of the day.” 

“I wanna, but I also want to go to Akihabara later… and I won’t be able to enjoy myself if I’m constantly thinkin’ about all the work I haven’t done.” She huffs, sighing tiredly as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“Yo N/N, d’ya like setters?” Atsumu suddenly asks. 

_“What.”_

“What? It’s a legit question! First Shirabu Kenjirou, now Akaashi Keiji… are you just droppin’ hints that you like setters? Or maybe… you’re secretly in love with me~?” 

Ignoring Atsumu, Y/N turns around to look at Suna and Ginjima who are seated behind her. With a dead look in her eyes, she gives them instructions. 

“Rintarou, open that window. Hitoshi, throw him out.” 

“Wait, wait! I was kiddin’!” Atsumu yells, flailing around as he watches Suna start to open the window beside him. 

Ginjima grabs Atsumu’s arm and pulls him towards the now open window. “Don’t be offended, Atsumu, but yeah this is personal.” 

“WAIT WAIT WAIT!” Atsumu screeches, clawing at their faces in a desperate attempt to escape Ginjima’s grip, but he’s too strong for him. 

“Slow down a little, Gin, I want to film this from a good angle.” Suna calls out, moving around to position himself in a good angle. Osamu looks over Suna’s shoulder to get a good view. 

“I WAS KIDDIN’ GUYS! COME ON!” Atsumu yells, they won’t _actually_ throw him out, right?? 

“Soz’ Atsumu, only Kita-senpai can save you now.” Y/N says, waving him off as Ginjima sticks his head outside the window. “We’ll remember you on Osamu’s birthday!” 

“Stop playin’ around, we still need Atsumu for our future matches.” Kita cuts in, Akagi and Ojiro laughing hysterically behind him. 

The second years pout as they release Atsumu and move back to their seats, acting as if nothing happened. 

Wheezing heavily, Atsumu groans as he glares at them. “I hate you guys.” 

“Aww did’ja hear that Osamu? He says he hates us~! He’s learnin’ new words every day!” Y/N coos, nudging Osamu who’s beside her. He smirks tauntingly at Atsumu. 

“Shuddup!” 

“Are we going to ignore the fact that the only reason Kita-san saved Atsumu is because we need him for future matches?” 

“…”

“HAHAHAAHA-!” 

“SHUDDUP!” 

* * *

_“We have arrived at Akihabara Station. Please stand clear of the doors and mind the gap between the train and the platform, thank you.”_

“Whoa… the city’s so big…” Y/N breathes out, looking at the huge buildings around her. The big cities are always intimidatingly busy. 

“No kiddin’, we better not get lost.” Atsumu says, glancing at the crowds around them, Osamu standing idly behind them looking bored, he’s just here for food. 

“Anyways, let’s be quick, we don’t wanna disappoint Kita-senpai and Coach Kurosu.” Y/N says, grabbing their arms and dragging them around. After she realises that she has no sense of direction, she turns to Osamu, who rolls his eyes as he takes out his phone to open up a map. 

“It’s a shame that Suna and Gin didn’t wanna come~” Atsumu sighs. “Would’ve been a fun group hangout~” 

_“I’m tired.” Suna deadpans, tucking himself into his bed as he takes out his phone. “You guys can go without me.”_

_“Soz’, I’m tired too.” Ginjima says sheepishly, impressed with the twin’s stamina, it’s amazing that they still have enough energy to go out._

_“Bummer, we’re just gonna look ‘round Akihabara since N/N wants to check out some anime stores.” Atsumu says, watching as Osamu packs a small backpack of necessities._

_“Make sure to be back before 5pm!” Coach Kurosu calls._

_“Yeah yeah we will. Later!”_

“Ohh that looks so good! D’ya wanna try it Osamu??” 

“Don’t even needa ask, rest in peace ‘Tsumu’s wallet.” 

“Oi I thought we were here for anime merch… Wait why are you usin’ my money??” 

Y/N and Osamu get distracted by various food vendors on the way to _Akihabara Gamers_ , taking multiple detours every time they spot any kind of food. Atsumu sighs in exasperation as he’s dragged along by the two of them. 

“Yeah yeah, don’t worry Atsumu, we’ll get there soon- Oh Osamu look! That looks so good!” 

“Let’s go get it.” 

Sighing, Atsumu follows after Y/N and Osamu. This is going to be a long day. 

“We finally made it…” Atsumu wheezes out, almost collapsing from exhaustion as they finally enter _Akihabara Gamers_. Strangely energised, Y/N excitedly looks around at the various displays. 

“We’re gonna be so broke after this…” Osamu sighs, satisfied from trying so many different foods, hoping the fullness of his stomach will distract from the emptiness of his wallet. 

_‘Oh my gosh there’s so much merch here…! I want everything!’_ Y/N’s eyes sparkle as she looks around the store, not knowing what to focus on. Spotting something that catches her interest, she grabs Atsumu’s and Osamu’s arms, enthusiastically dragging them around the store. 

Y/N rambles on and on about things that they don’t understand, so quickly that they can only catch a few words. She excitedly gestures towards different goods in the merchandise area, not even stopping to breathe. 

“Oya oya? The Miya twins and manager of the Inarizaki Volleyball Club?” 

The three of them turn towards the voice, seeing two high school students in red tracksuits looking at them. Reading the text on their pants, Y/N realises that they’re from Nekoma. 

“That’s us~ Who’re you?” Atsumu asks, not recognising them. 

“They’re from the Nekoma Volleyball Club, Atsumu.” Y/N says, observing them carefully. The tall guy who spoke to them has spikey black hair and a broad build, his pudding-head friend hiding behind him as he watches the three of them in interest. 

“Oh? Didn’t expect you to recognise us. You guys are practically celebrities.” He says. “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, middle blocker and captain. This is my friend Kozume Kenma, he’s our setter.” 

After introducing them, Kuroo watches them carefully, a sly smirk on his face. 

“We watched your practise match with Fukurodani earlier, hopefully we can play you guys sometime.” 

“That’d be nice, we’ll be lookin’ forward to it.” Y/N smiles, not trusting the twins to remain polite. 

“Well, we’ll leave you three to it. See’ya later~” Kuroo waves, walking away with Kozume who keeps watching them from the corner of his eye, glancing away once he makes eye-contact with Atsumu. 

“Well that was awkward.” Osamu deadpans. 

“It’s your fault anyway, you two are practically idols.” Y/N says dryly, turning her attention back to the merchandise around her, mentally calculating how much she can spend without regretting too much later. 

“Can’t help bein’ popular~ I’m so pretty no one can resist~” Atsumu smirks lazily, glancing around to see a few girls looking at them in interest. 

“If it boils down to just looks, then Nekoma’s setter would be wayyy more popular than you.” Y/N says, sighing at his confidence. 

Squinting at her curiously, Atsumu thinks for a moment. 

“…I’m startin’ to really think you just have a thing for setters…” 

“I’m startin’ to think you’re just askin’ for death.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... you know who's coming next chapter...? 😏😏😏 huehuehue...
> 
> In other news~ I wasn't going to make her befriend Akaashi, but I was planning out events 6 years into the future and I realised I needed them to be friends :) So ya~ :D 
> 
> Also spoilers for the recent manga chapter but omg?? Suna reappeared?? I actually dropped my phone in shock XD I'm so happy to see him again ;-; I was so scared I'd never see him again TT^TT and he's all grown up too 😭😭 His hair's so fluffy and his shoulders are so broad omg I'm so soft 😭😭😭 I love him TT^TT  
> (I'm also thinking of drawing pro players Sakusa and Suna in a Black Jackals VS EJP match haha just kidding! ...unless?) 
> 
> Anyway~ Thankyou for reading once again! :D Everyone's so nice and sweet and it's making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :')) I love you all TT^TT
> 
> ~~~  
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	10. Sakusa Kiyoomi

“Rintarou you’re… so weak…” Y/N comments, an imaginary arrow pierces through his heart as he crumbles to the floor in defeat. 

“Maybe he doesn’t eat enough?” Osamu asks, observing Suna carefully. 

“Or ‘coz he’s always slackin’ off in practise?” Atsumu proposes. 

“Guys… he’s right there… don’t just gossip about him in front of his face…” Ginjima sweat-drops, feeling sorry for Suna. 

“He’s so skinny, he’s practically a twig.” Y/N says, ignoring Ginjima. “I’m pretty sure he’s skinnier than me.” 

Suna remains on the floor, hoping he can merge with it and die. His teammates ignore his pain and continue gossiping about him. Somehow sensing that something isn’t right, Kita approaches the second years with the third year regulars following closely behind. 

“What’s goin’ on?” He questions, watching as Suna withers in pain on the floor, letting out agonising wails. 

“Don’tcha think Suna’s too skinny, Kita-san? He’s super weak too…” Atsumu says, pointing at Suna. 

“I guess that’s true.” Kita says. 

“I mean, Shinsuke’s weak too, so don’t worry about it Suna.” Akagi pipes in, patting the two of them on the back while smiling brightly. 

_“Excuse me?”_

The second years and Ojiro flinch back in fear, Kita’s ice-cold voice makes them shiver. Oomimi sighs deeply and facepalms, this will not end well. 

“C’mon Shinsuke~ Even _you’d_ admit you’re pretty weak, right?” 

The second years and Ojiro are literally shaking in fear, their eyes frantically darting between Akagi and Kita, who is emitting an unnervingly dark aura. 

“Is that what you think of me, Michinari?” Kita asks, staring directly into Akagi’s eyes. 

“I mean… it’s true, ain’t it? What, you wanna arm wrestle or somethin’?” Akagi jokes, completely ignoring the ominous atmosphere. The other members sweat violently, they think they might pass out from anxiety. 

“You’re suggestin’ an arm wrestle? Fine.” Kita responds, walking towards a nearby table and sitting down. 

“Oh dear…” Y/N mumbles. 

Akagi sweat-drops as he sits down in the seat opposite to Kita, who is glaring at him with an unreadable expression. 

“Shinsuke… y’know you don’t hafta do this…” 

“You suggested we arm wrestle, so we will.” Kita states matter-of-factly, scowling at Akagi. 

“This isn’t gonna end well…” Y/N whispers to Ginjima, who only sighs in response, he knows everyone else will get dragged into this somehow. 

Sighing once again, Akagi props his elbow onto the table and holds out his hand, waiting for Kita take it so they can begin their match. 

“Ready, go.” Oomimi calls out in a monotone. 

“…”

 _‘??? He’s so weak??’_ Akagi mentally questions, completely shocked. He already knew Kita was weak but… seeing his whole arm tremble against Akagi’s unmoving hand was almost too sad. 

Everyone sweat-drops as they watch Kita shake uncontrollably, starting to sweat as he does his best to push Akagi’s hand down. It doesn’t even move. 

Akagi just stares at Kita, perplexed and sympathetic. Taking pity on his struggling, he quickly slams his hand down to end his suffering. Everyone sighs in relief, it’s finally over. 

“You’re… stronger than I thought, Michinari.” Kita breathes out, struggling to maintain a nonchalant expression. 

_‘So this is one of Kita-san’s weaknesses…! He’s super weak!’_ The second years think, they’re not sure if they’re surprised or not. 

“Haha, don’t mind Shinsuke! I’m pretty strong so it can’t be helped!” Akagi cheerfully beams, patting Kita on the back. Kita stares blankly at the floor, that was too easy for Akagi. 

“We wanna arm wrestle too!” The twins call out, putting their hands in the air. 

Everyone turns to Y/N, mentally asking her to somehow use her ‘manager skills’ to make this impromptu tournament somewhat orderly. She sighs as she takes out her notebook, this has been a long day. 

“Fine, we’ll run this like Interhigh. First we’ll have the Qualifiers, since we’re arguin’ about who’s the strongest and who’s the weakest, we’ll have two divisions. Given that Kita-senpai and Akagi-senpai just versed each other, those are the two divisions, no offence Kita-senpai. To protect your fragile pride, I’ll be calling them Division A and B. Any questions so far?” 

Taking their silence as a no, she continues. 

“I’ll pair the rest of you up, all losers will be put in Division B while the winners will go to Division A, there will be 2 rounds in each division. Oh and this goes without saying but yes it is an elimination process. Winners of the two matches in Division A will verse each other, while losers of the two matches in Division B will verse each other. Sound good?” 

Once she hears a chorus of okay’s she starts writing out their names, choosing their pairs carefully. Hopefully, no friendships will be broken today. 

“Alright, here are the matchups.” 

_Akagi (W) – Kita (L)_  
_Oomimi – Ojiro_  
_Atsumu – Osamu_  
_Ginjima – Suna_

“‘Kay, Oomimi-senpai, Aran-senpai, you’re up.” 

Ojiro sighs as he takes a seat opposite Oomimi, he doesn’t really see the point in this, but he should have expected he’d get dragged along by everyone’s shenanigans. Oomimi stoically takes his seat as well, already knowing he doesn’t stand a chance against Ojiro. 

There isn’t much struggling on Oomimi’s part, but Ojiro’s too strong and he manages to push Oomimi’s hand down. 

_Oomimi (L) – Ojiro (W)_

“Alright, twins.” 

Atsumu smirks tauntingly at Osamu, who maintains a blank face as he stares disinterestedly at Atsumu. 

“Don’t be sad when I win, ‘Samu~” 

“You should win first before you start runnin’ your mouth, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu scowls, mentally destroying Atsumu. 

“Ready, go.” 

Instantly the twins start giving it their all, their hands shake uncontrollably as they try and one-up each other, letting out strange tennis player grunts. 

However, slowly but surely, Osamu’s strength beats Atsumu, and he manages to slam Atsumu’s hand down. 

_Atsumu (L) – Osamu (W)_

Groaning in defeat, Atsumu tries to catch his breath after face-planting into the table. Both brothers pant heavily as they try to steady their breathing, preparing for a verbal spar. 

“Don’t be sad that I won, ‘Tsumu. You’re… just a weak-ass scrub.” Osamu wheezes out, smirking tauntingly at Atsumu. 

“Y’got lucky…” Atsumu grits his teeth, preparing a long list of insults. 

“You guys can have your verbal war after, we’re still in Qualifiers so move along before you both get disqualified.” Y/N deadpans, taking her role very seriously. 

Huffing in defeat, Atsumu pouts as he dramatically leaves the table, flicking his hair for effect. At least he lost in style…? 

Y/N sighs for the hundredth time that day as she turns her attention onto Suna and Ginjima. Everyone already knows who’s going to win. 

“Okay then… Hitoshi and… Rintarou.” 

Taking seats opposite to each other, the two of them stare into each others eyes as they wait for the ‘go’. 

“Ready, go.” 

Suna instantly starts struggling, and everyone can’t help but compare this to Akagi and Kita’s match. It’s practically the same. 

Ginjima sweat-drops as he smiles nervously at Suna, not having the heart to slam his hand down when he sees him struggling so hard. 

Panting and shaking uncontrollably, Suna glares at Ginjima and wheezes. “End… me…” 

Taking the cue, Ginjima instantly slams down Suna’s hand with no trouble. It’s honestly really depressing. 

_Ginjima (W) – Suna (L)_

Atsumu pats Suna on the back as they start sulking together, they don’t want to be in ‘Division B’. 

Y/N writes up the competitors for each other divisions, paying no mind to the wounded egos of the ‘Division B’ squad. They’ll get over it eventually. 

**Division A – Round 1:**  
_Akagi – Ojiro_  
_Osamu – Ginjima_

__

**Division B – Round 1:**  
_Kita – Oomimi_  
_Atsumu – Suna_

__

“Akagi-senpai, Ojiro-senpai, you’re up.” 

__

“And the first round of Division A begins!” Atsumu calls, imitating an announcer’s voice, he’s decided to commentate over the matches. 

__

“Ready? Set… Go! And what is this? Akagi appears to be strugglin’ against Aran-kun! But he hasn’t lost yet! Oh no! Maybe he is losin’! And Aran-kun wins!” He announces, clapping wildly to congratulate Ojiro. 

__

_Akagi (L) – Ojiro (W)_

__

“Atsumu, can’t you ever shut up?” Akagi whines, he knew he couldn’t win against Ojiro anyway. 

__

“AND NOW WE MOVE TO DIVISION B! WHO’S COMPETING?? WELL IT’S- oh haha… Don’t mind me Kita-san! I’ll shut up!” Atsumu instantly zips his lips and avoids eye-contact with Kita. 

__

Oomimi sighs as he prepares to arm wrestle Kita. 

__

“…” 

__

He really didn’t expect Kita to be this weak. 

__

Struggling against Oomimi, Kita shakes uncontrollably as he starts sweating, barely moving his hand even a little. Wanting to get this over and done with, Oomimi gently pushes Kita’s hand onto the table. 

__

_Kita (L) – Oomimi (W)_

__

The members stand around awkwardly as they watch Kita, who is unnervingly silent as he stares blankly at the table. 

__

“D-don’t mind, Kita-senpai…” Y/N mumbles out, laughing sheepishly as he stands up and moves away from the table. 

__

“…After that _incredibly surprising_ turn of events, we now go back to Division A! We have lame scrub ‘Samu versing Gin! KICK HIS ASS GIN!” Atsumu yells enthusiastically, giving thumbs up to Ginjima, who just ignores him. 

__

The two boys grip each other’s hands tightly, struggling against each other. They’re strength is almost equally matched. 

__

Everyone subconsciously holds their breath as the watch the match in anticipation, this is the longest arm wrestle they’ve ever witnessed. Glaring angrily at each other through gritted teeth, they tighten their grips as they continue doing their best, the whole table’s shaking. 

__

After a lot of back-and-forth struggle, Osamu somehow finds extra reserved strength and slams Ginjima’s hand down. And then everybody clapped. 

__

_Osamu (W) – Ginjima (L)_

__

“…And unfortunately ‘Samu Scrub moves onto the finals or somethin’…” Atsumu sighs in defeat, preparing for his match against Suna. 

__

__

“Ready, go.” 

__

Atsumu instantly slams Suna’s hand down, he didn’t even stand a chance. Atsumu doesn’t even bother taunting Suna, he simply pats his back while keeping a blank expression on his face. Everyone sweat-drops. 

__

_Atsumu (W) – Suna (L)_

__

“…Don’t mind.” 

__

Suna just sighs tiredly, he probably needs to start taking his strength training seriously. 

__

“Well… now we’re onto the finals at least…” Y/N mumbles. She just wants to go to bed, but alas she must stay for the end. 

__

**Division A – Finals:**  
_Ojiro – Osamu_

__

**Division B – Finals:**  
_Kita – Suna_

__

Osamu groans in disdain, no one _actually_ expects him to beat Ojiro. 

__

Despite not being evenly matched, Osamu’s struggle against Ojiro isn’t completely one-sided. Ojiro also struggles a little against Osamu, lowkey surprised by his strength, but it’s not enough. Slamming down Osamu’s hand, Ojiro wins. 

__

**Strongest in Inarizaki – Ojiro Aran**

__

Nervously glancing at Kita, everyone worries that if they so much as _breathe_ incorrectly around him, he’ll get mad. 

__

Graciously sitting opposite to Suna, the two of them begin their arm wrestle. 

__

__

It’s almost pitiful. 

__

Both arms shake uncontrollably with lack of strength, the two boys sweat and begin to pant as the game continues, but it’s no use. It’s not that they’re equally strong, it’s that they’re both so weak they can’t do anything. 

__

Finally having enough, Kita abruptly lets go of Suna’s hand and stands up, surprising everyone. His glare is so ice-cold everyone freezes in shock. 

__

“We will _never_ speak of this. Do you all understand?” Kita says, blushing in embarrassment as he tries to stare icily at everyone. They vigorously nod their heads, not wanting to say anything against Kita. 

__

“Go to bed, we have a practise match against Itachiyama Academy tomorrow and we need to be well rested.” He says, looking away in hopes that they won’t notice his blush, it’s too late though. 

__

Kita robotically walks out of the room, once he’s gone everyone sighs in relief. No one wants to be in Kita’s bad books. 

__

Blushing in embarrassment, Suna holds his face in shame. _‘I’m so weak…’_

__

Taking pity on the poor boy, no one has the heart to taunt him. Oomimi pats him on the back in encouragement. 

__

“Think of it this way, you have somethin’ in common with Shinsuke.” 

__

Suna instantly brightens up and his eyes start to sparkle. He feels like a winner. 

__

**Weakest in Inarizaki – ???**

__

__

* * *

__

__

“Atsumu, put that volleyball down and get to bed. Osamu, stop snacking in bed that’s disgustin’. Rintarou, put your phone away or I’ll take it away from you. Hitoshi, you’re doin’ amazin’ sweetie.” Y/N says, standing in the doorway of the second year regular’s room. 

__

Atsumu whines as he throws his volleyball across the room, it bounces off the floor and hits Suna’s phone out of his hands. Scowling back at him, Suna mimes stabbing Atsumu’s volleyball, making him gasp in shock and horror. 

__

“You wouldn’t-!” 

__

“Go to bed! Dudes! We hafta wake up early tomorrow mornin’! It’s Itachiyama, y’know? The team you guys hate the most??” Y/N complains, she just wants to go to bed. 

__

“Itachiyama Academy? Who’s on that team again?” Suna plays dumb, smiling innocently at her. 

__

“Are you for real? Sakusa-san, Komori-san-” 

__

“Oh, so Sakusa comes first? I see I see.” Suna smirks, nodding along to his words. Y/N and the twins groan. 

__

“Why d’ya even ship us anyway?? We’ve literally never talked??” 

__

“Yet…” Suna whispers, chuckling mysteriously. 

__

Facepalming, Y/N turns around to leave. “I’m leaving them in your care, Hitoshi. Sorry in advance.” Slamming the door, Y/N sighs as she walks back to her room. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow too. 

__

__

* * *

__

__

_「 Itachiyama Academy 」_

__

_‘We’re finally here…’_ Y/N stares up at the huge high school in awe, Inarizaki is big in its own right but Itachiyama is something else. 

__

“City air quality’s as terrible as I remember.” Atsumu comments, sniffing around. 

__

“Then put a facemask on…” Y/N deadpans, they’re all wearing facemasks except Atsumu. 

__

“No, never. Cover my face and ruin my good looks? Nuh-uh. Nope.” 

__

“Your stubbornness is gonna get you sick.” 

__

The Inarizaki team strides into Itachiyama with an air of dignity and confidence, ignoring the Itachiyama students that subconsciously back away from them in awe, they are pretty intimidating. A few members of the Itachiyama team meet them along the way, directing them towards the gym. 

__

“Thank you for havin’ us!” They chorus, bowing as they enter gym. Heading over to the court they’re directed to, they start warming up as Kita goes to greet Iizuna, the captain of the Itachiyama team. 

__

“Miya! L/N-chan! So nice to see you two again!” Komori calls, smiling brightly as he approaches them. 

__

“Oh? I see you’re doin’ well Komori~” Atsumu smiles, waving at him. 

__

“Nice to see you again, Komori-kun.” Y/N says, almost squinting at his sunny smile. He’s too bright. 

__

“Motoya! You’re lookin’ as good as ever!” Akagi cheers, patting Komori on the back whose eyes sparkle brightly at him. 

__

“Thank you Michinari-kun!” 

__

_‘I swear… all Libero’s are fanboys of each other…’_ Both teams sweat-drop, turning their eyes away from the bright duo, they’re practically radiating sparkles and flowers. 

__

“Yo, Y/N!” Coach Oomi calls Y/N over and hands her the bag filled with their water bottles. “Couldja fill up the bottles for 'em?”

__

“Yeah of course, that’s my job.” Y/N accepts the bottles and walks towards the door, she turns to look the twins dead in the eyes. “Behave.” 

__

The twins mockingly salute her as she rolls her eyes and leaves the gym.

__

__

Y/N continues filling the water bottles by the fountain outside the gym. She’s on high alert for any signs of people trying to approach her; she’s always interrupted while filling up water bottles. 

__

Uneasily glancing around with a stoic expression, Y/N internally sighs in relief once she sees Itachiyama students nervously glance at her before scampering away, not wanting to get in her way. She gives off an air of dignified elegance, her maroon jacket standing out amongst them, making her incredibly unapproachable. 

__

In reality, Y/N’s just an anxious wreck that’s good at putting up a cool front. Once she finishes filling up the bottles, she packs them into her bag and turns around. 

__

“…”

__

And she comes face to face with Sakusa Kiyoomi. 

__

_‘Ohmygosh.’_ Y/N steps back in shock, why’s he just standing behind her?? 

__

She just stares up at him, and he stares back, not saying a word. This is so awkward, and literally everyone watching can feel the tension. It’s not like they’re having a staring contest, they’re just blinking at each other dumbly, staring into each other’s eyes for literally no reason. 

__

It’s so painfully awkward, Y/N just wants to die. (But he does look pretty good…) 

__

“Sakusa, why are you taking so long- Oh? L/N-chan!” Komori calls, shattering the awkward tension. Y/N finally feels like she can breathe. 

__

“Ah, Komori-kun, soz’ I was just fillin’ up the bottles…” She says, smiling slightly at him, awkwardly glancing at Sakusa, who is still yet to stop staring at her. _‘This is so awkward, stop staring!’_

__

“Ohh! Sorry about Sakusa here, he’s a bit of a downer~” 

__

“I’m not.” Sakusa mumbles, finally breaking eye-contact with Y/N and scowling at Komori. 

__

“He doesn’t really trust anyone to fill up his bottle, so he fills it up himself~” Komori explains, still smiling. 

__

“Oh I see.” Y/N nods. “I’ll leave ya to it then, I needa get back to my team anyway. Later Komori-kun, Sakusa-san.” 

__

Komori waves her away, with Sakusa beside him nodding slightly. 

__

_‘That was so awkward…!’_

__

__

“Y/N~ Why’s your face so red?” Atsumu calls, smirking down at her. 

__

“Atsumu~ Why’s your face so punchable?” She retorts, smiling brightly at him. 

__

“Extra defensive? Hmm… something embarrassing happened and you’re trying to hide it from us.” Suna comments, squinting as he observes her carefully. “Did someone approach you while you were filling the water bottles again?” 

__

“Yeah, Komori-kun.” 

__

“And?” 

__

“What do you mean and?” She scowls, why can’t they just leave her alone? 

__

“Sakusa? Oh I see.” Suna smirks, finding something amusing. 

__

“Yes, I’m glad you can see.” She deadpans. “Now use your oh-so-useful eyes and block every spike that comes your way.” 

__

Sighing heavily, Y/N shoos the boys away, threatening to call Kita over to make them get back to practise, they reluctantly leave her alone. 

__

Once they’re gone Y/N can finally sigh in relief, moving over to sit beside the coaches on the bench. She opens up a new page in her notebook, knowing that she’ll have a lot to write about during their practise match. The gym door squeaks open and Y/N glances up to look. 

__

She briefly makes eye-contact with Sakusa before quickly turning back to her notebook. 

__

Life would probably be easier if she stayed back in Hyogo.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _*breathes into walkie-talkie*_ He's here.
> 
> Although I wanted his appearance fireworks and sparkles, since this is a slowburn fic, I wanted it to be realistic =w= So behold! The most awkward interaction of the century! :D (If you can even call it an interaction... they legit just stared at each other the whole time omg-) XD
> 
> The arm wrestling match was _meant_ to be just something quick and fun, but I got carried away and it became an intense tournament of pride and shame soooo :)) Sorry about that XD
> 
> In regards to the Itachiyama team, we literally know next to nothing about them, all we know is that Komori's the best Libero and that Sakusa has bendy wrists :))) I know the captain's the setter but that's about it welp :') So I'll be doing a lot of research to figure out a play-style for them (I do have a few ideas though...) I probably won't focus _too_ much on the practise match though =w= This fic is focusing more on Y/N's life and her relationships with the people around her, rather than volleyball. So ya! :D
> 
> Also can we talk about the fact that Inarizaki's finally getting animated tomorrow?? 😭😭 I'm so ready for them 😭😭😭 Those are my boys ;-; I love them ;-;
> 
> Thankyou so much for reading! And thankyou to everyone that takes the time to comment :')) I say it a lot but I really really look forward to comments XD You guys really brighten up my day :') 
> 
> ~~~  
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	11. Itachiyama Volleyball Club

_Itachiyama – Inarizaki Practise Match – First Set_  
_Itachiyama [9 – 7] Inarizaki_

“Give us a nice serve, Atsumu!” 

The practise match is already intense, with few mistakes being made. That’s to be expected from the two powerhouse schools. Atsumu sends over a powerful spike serve, it’s caught by Komori in the last second and another long rally begins. 

Itachiyama, at its core, is a simple team. Rather than focusing on complex team plays, they present their iconic style through powerful individuality, focusing on the strengths of each individual member. They’re structured, orderly, built upon the strong foundations of each player. 

“Chance ball!” 

“Kyaa!! Miya-senpai!” “Aran!” “Sakusa-senpai!” “Suna!” “OSAMUUU!!” 

Y/N’s concentration briefly breaks as she becomes irritated by the fans, she appreciates their support, but can’t they shut up during the rallies?? Unfortunately, she’s gotten used to the interruptions. 

_Itachiyama [17 – 14] Inarizaki_

Ojiro blasts through with an amazing cut-shot, taking Itachiyama’s blockers off-guard. Sighing in relief, Y/N really hopes that Suna’s engine will get warmed up soon, they really need him right around now. 

_Itachiyama [24 – 22] Inarizaki_

The squeaking of the sneakers on the gym floor resonates through the gym, along with the cheers of the members and the fans, luckily the fans are starting to calm down a little. Caught in the moment, Y/N finds herself focusing on Itachiyama’s ace, Sakusa. How could she not? 

His spikes are powerful and swift, his beautiful form refined from years of experience and practise. He’s elegant, the way he soars into the air with such intense focus and concentration, the way he swiftly spikes the ball with an incredible spin, ever graceful. It’s no wonder why they’ve chosen him as their ace. 

_BAM!_

Sakusa spikes again, it’s an incredibly straight spike that heads straight towards Osamu, bouncing off his arms at an unpredictable angle. 

_‘That was so beautiful…!’_ Y/N thinks, eyes sparkling in awe at Sakusa’s magnificent spike, any volleyball fan would be completely mesmerised. Seeing this, Atsumu rolls his eyes and bonks her on the head, snapping her out of her trance. 

“Don’t go all heart-eyes for the enemy just ‘coz they did somethin’ cool.” He scowls, pointing to the scoreboard. “You should be mad since we just lost the set.” 

“Atsumu, don’t go ‘round callin’ the opposin’ team the ‘enemy’, that’s immature.” Kita scolds, shaking his head in disappointment. 

“…Soz’ Kita-san.” Atsumu mumbles sheepishly before turning back to Y/N. She rolls her eyes in exasperation. 

“If even you can admit he’s cool, then he must be absolutely amazin’.” 

“Who’s amazing? Sakusa? Yes, I agree. Tell me more.” Suna pipes in, hijacking the conversation. Pausing briefly, Y/N makes eye-contact with Atsumu, mentally questioning what’s wrong with Suna. 

“…I’m startin’ to think that _you_ like Sakusa…” Y/N mumbles, squinting at Suna in accusation. Scrunching his face up in disgust, Suna takes out his water bottle and takes a drink, spitting out the water for dramatic effect. 

Using her reflexes, Y/N ducks and pulls Atsumu in front of her to use him as a shield, Suna’s spit water sprays onto him. “Rintarou, that’s _disgusting_.” 

“Not as disgustin’ as gettin’ Suna’s spit water on you! How couldja betray me like that N/N??” Atsumu whines, wiping his face on his jersey. 

“You’ll live.” She deadpans. “Plus, I’m sure your fans like what they see, now that you’re literally drippin’ in good looks.” 

“Hmm… that’s true… But do ya see all those Suna stans? I’m pretty sure he’s more popular at Itachiyama than back at Inarizaki.” Atsumu says, glancing at the bleachers and making some fans go wild. 

“Maybe Itachiyama students just like tall, dark, bendy boys?” Y/N jokes, nudging Suna as he rolls his eyes. 

“You didn’t need to say it like that.” 

Komori grins when he catches Sakusa discreetly glance at the Inarizaki bench, seeing Y/N joking around with Atsumu and Suna. 

“The Inarizaki bench sure is lively huh?” He asks, openly looking at them, much to Sakusa’s displeasure. 

“…Miya has all kinds of dirty germs on him now.” 

Laughing, Komori pats Sakusa on the back, causing him to move away slightly in disgust. “It’s alright Sakusa, he’s not going to touch you!” 

“He better not.” 

_Itachiyama – Inarizaki Practise Match – Second Set_  
_Itachiyama [14 – 16] Inarizaki_

With Suna quickly adapting to Itachiyama, the Inarizaki team has been able to use some momentum to pull ahead, even if just by a little. 

“Komori!” Itachiyama’s setter calls, having gotten the first touch. 

“Right!” Komori jumps to set the ball, multiple of his teammates running up and jumping to spike his set. Watching him carefully, everyone wonders who he’ll set to. 

Komori dumps the ball. 

Diving for the ball, Akagi isn’t able to get it up, having been caught off-guard from Komori’s Libero dump. The Inarizaki’s team glares at Komori in annoyance, who in turn beams brightly at them. 

Y/N starts clapping in amazement, eye’s sparkling in admiration for his play. Komori glances at her and waves, still smiling brightly. She gives him thumbs up in return. 

“Whose team are you on?” Coach Kurosu deadpans, side-eyeing Y/N from his seat beside her. 

“Hey! As a retired Libero, I can appreciate an amazin’ play when I see one!” She huffs, rolling her eyes at Atsumu when he glares at her, pouting. 

“Besides, Komori-kun’s Libero dumps are so cool…!” 

“I think you mean annoyin’.” 

“Depends on whose team you’re on I s’pose~” 

_Itachiyama [22 – 23] Inarizaki_

Itachiyama’s captain scores a service ace, smirking in pride as he sees Ojiro unsuccessfully dive for the ball. Iizuna Tsukasa is definitely a force to be reckoned with, having won best high school setter at the previous Spring Tournament, as well as Atsumu’s begrudging admiration. 

His sets are clean, precise, and his form is hard to read, making it difficult for middle blockers to see the direction of his sets before they’re made. Although, according to Suna, he can be a little predictable. 

Sending a quick set to their #4, Oomimi jumps a little too late, letting the spike go through. As irritating as it is to be Itachiyama’s opponents, Y/N admits that they’re one of the teams she likes to watch the most. 

* * *

“Nagaoka-san is as scary as ever today.” Suna states, watching Itachiyama’s #2 middle blocker as he packs up. He’s a little salty from losing the practise match, again. 

“Tch… damn Tokyo punks.” Atsumu scowls, also irritated. 

Noticing that Y/N’s not helping them pack up, Ginjima glances around, looking for her. “Yo guys, where’s Y/N?” 

Sighing deeply, Atsumu runs a hand down his face, before pointing over to the Itachiyama team. “She’s talkin’ to Komori… chattin’ up the enemy again.” 

Y/N’s eyes sparkle in awe. “Whoa…! Your hands really _are_ rough, I can totally tell you’ve been workin’ super hard for years.” 

“Haha I know right!” Komori laughs, holding his hands out for Y/N. “They might not feel nice to touch but at least I can be proud of all the hard work I’ve done~” 

“You better be proud… Your Libero dump was so smooth! It was hard to predict even last year, but this year it’s so smooth! I was taken so off-guard!” Y/N exclaims, excitedly looking up at Komori who beams brightly at her praise. 

“Aww thanks!” 

“You could at least pretend you’re upset about us losin’, N/N.” Atsumu scowls, interrupting their conversation as he puts an arm around Y/N’s shoulders. 

“Ew, don’t touch me. You’ve got Suna-spit all over you.” 

“I think you mean holy water.” Suna pipes in as he walks past, making Y/N and Atsumu roll their eyes, Komori laughs at his ‘joke’. 

Sakusa keeps frowning as he watches the group of second years converse with one another, mentally debating if he should join them as well. 

“Didn’t you go to the All-Japan Youth training camp with Inarizaki’s setter last year? Aren’t you going to say hi?” Captain Iizuna questions, pausing momentarily as he takes down the net. 

“…I’d rather not. Who knows what kind of germs he’s got on him.” 

Osamu overhears this as he walks past, chiming in. “I live with that jerk and even I don’t know what kind of germs he’s got… it’s safer to stay away.” 

“DIDJA JUST TRASH TALK ME ‘SAMU?!” 

_‘Is this twin telepathy??’_ Iizuna and Sakusa mentally question, slightly freaked out. Osamu just ignores Atsumu as he walks away, he’s been given the task of asking the fans to leave. 

After picking up the last of the volleyballs, Y/N places them in the cart to put them away. Turning around, she comes face to face with Sakusa. Again. 

Everyone does a double take, freezing in their movements as they stare at the two. _‘Sakusa?? Approaching someone??? Am I seeing this right?’_ Quickly recovering from their momentary shock, they all proceed to get back to packing up, being extra slow and silent as they try and discreetly watch the whole interaction. 

Blinking in disbelief, Y/N smiles sheepishly at Sakusa. “Umm… is there somethin’ you need, Sakusa-san?” 

_‘Oh gosh was that too awkward? Can he tell I’m socially inept?? Why is he just standing there??’_ She immediately starts overthinking, not really knowing what to do or say. Little does she know, Sakusa is equally as awkward and confused. 

Grumbling under his breath, Sakusa frowns as he tries to think of something to say, not noticing how everyone around him is doing everything super slowly and quietly in an exaggerated manner, it’s almost comical. 

Suna tip-toes past in slow motion, ‘discreetly’ staring at the two of them as slightly leans closer to listen in. Y/N would have punched him if she wasn’t busy having a staring contest with Sakusa. 

She watches his weirdly expressive eyebrows as he mentally decides what to say. 

“…Have you gotten all your flu shots?” 

_‘What.’_

_‘What??’_

Komori facepalms in disbelief, feeling the second-hand embarrassment as he cringes. Why does Sakusa have to be so awkward?? 

“Yes…” Y/N trails off, even she’s cringing at Sakusa’s unfortunate attempt at a conversation. 

“That’s good.” He nods, walking off to do something else. 

_‘Is that all??’_ Everyone internally screams, facepalming in disappointment. Was all that awkward tension really worth that three sentence interaction? No one will ever understand what goes through Sakusa’s head. 

Y/N sweat-drops, she doesn’t know what she was expecting but it definitely wasn’t that. It seems like Sakusa’s just an enigma to her. 

“Well, _that_ didn’t go the way I thought it would.” Suna says, suddenly appearing beside her as they prepare to leave. 

“I don’t want to know anythin’ about your fantasies, Rintarou.” She deadpans. 

“I think Atsumu would have the wildest fantasies though, you should be more concerned about him.” 

“Atsumu? Nah, that boy literally only thinks about volleyball, he probably just dreams about practising more and bein’ the best.” Y/N states, having flashbacks to all the times Atsumu stayed back behind for extra practise, letting Osamu go home first. 

Suna pauses for a moment in thought. “…Atsumu sure works hard, huh?” 

“Hm? Yeah of course, he loves volleyball.” Y/N says, not really knowing what Suna’s thinking about. 

“…Yeah, he does.” 

“Later Komori~ See ya at Interhigh~” Atsumu calls, waving to Komori as he walks outside the gate. 

“Atsumu, we needa win Interhigh Qualifiers first.” Y/N deadpans, the whole day’s been exhausting and she just wants to get back to Hyogo. 

“What? You don’t think we’ll win?” 

“…Don’t get too cocky.” She scowls, turning back to wave goodbye to Komori and Sakusa. “I’ll see you two ‘round. Take care of yourselves.” 

“Later L/N-chan!” 

“Goodbye.” 

Smiling back at them, Y/N turns around to walk with the second years back to their bus, they’ll be going back to Hyogo now. Spotting a few fans watching them, Y/N smirks as she turns to look at Osamu. 

“Osamu, didja hear that dude that kept screamin’ your name? That man knows _exactly_ who he wants.” 

“Please don’t say it like that.” 

* * *

“So… that awkward interaction…” Atsumu begins, staring at the floor with a serious expression as he prompts a discussion at the back of the bus. Y/N rolls her eyes as the four second years cross their arms and stare at the floor in thought, they’re such idiots. 

“It’s alright, Atsumu, this is just the first stage. They’re in the awkward phase.” Suna says, nodding along to his words. 

“Yep, the ‘Tsumu phase.” Osamu chimes in. 

“Oi! I’ve never had an awkward phase!” 

“That’s because for you, it’s not a phase; it’s a lifestyle.” Y/N deadpans, high-fiving Osamu behind his back. 

“Oi that’s mean! What do you guys know anyways??” 

“I mean… considerin’ the fact that you’re womb- ROOMMATES with Osamu, I’d think he’d know you pretty well, since you spent so much time in the womb- ROOM together.” Y/N says, making Suna and Ginjima snort at her ‘slip-ups’. Atsumu and Osamu just groan in disgust. 

“Oh my gosh they’re wombmatesss…!” Suna whispers, snickering as the twins facepalm. 

“Why would you say that Y/N…” Ginjima sighs, he knows this joke will never die. 

“I know right…” Osamu mutters. “Stop remindin’ me about the murder I failed to commit, I regret it every day…” 

“WHAT DIDJA SAY?” 

“Are you deaf? He said he wishes he murdered you when he had the chance.” Suna replies boredly, looking at his phone in disappointment, it’s run out of battery. 

“Relatable. I mean, we still have a chance now…” Y/N trails off, and they all face Atsumu and stare at him with dead faces. 

“OI-” 

“CAN YOU FIVE SHUT UP??” Ojiro yells from the front of the bus, making them flinch and shut up in fear, they all turn to look at him. “Y’all are too noisy! Can you guys stop talkin’ for five minutes??” 

Sheepishly avoiding eye-contact, the five second years mime zipping their lips as the cross their arms and look outside the window. 

The silence lasts for 6 seconds. 

Quickly getting bored, Y/N starts humming the _Thomas the Tank Engine_ theme song, bobbing her head along to the tune. Atsumu and Ginjima quickly join, humming along as Suna smirks, clapping along to their humming. Rolling his eyes, Osamu starts headbanging to the beat, fully immersed in the song. 

“Are they for real…” Ojiro mutters, completely done with the second years as he watches their performance. 

“It’s alright, Aran, I feel at ease when they’re havin’ fun together.” Kita chuckles, smiling slightly. “I’m glad they’re so close.” 

“Thank you, Suna. Y/N, you’re very beautiful.” Atsumu says, smiling charmingly as she rolls her eyes at him. It’s getting late but the second years are trying to ease their boredom by playing various games, currently they’re playing ‘The Compliment Game’. 

The rules are simple, you compliment someone, they thank you, and they compliment someone else. The first person to hesitate from complimenting for more than 5 seconds loses, and has to pay for lunch when the group goes out next. Ginjima and Y/N have never lost a game. 

“Thank you, Atsumu.” Y/N deadpans. “Hitoshi, you’re very responsible.” 

“Thank you, Y/N. Osamu, you’re very trustworthy.” 

“Thank you, Gin. Suna, you’re… very tall…?” 

Y/N snorts as Suna rolls his eyes. “Thank you, Osamu. Y/N, you’re very smart.” 

“Thank you, Rintarou.” Y/N says, before grimacing as she looks at Atsumu’s smiling face, eager to hear what she has to say. “Atsumu… you look very good in the mirror.” 

“Pfft-” Osamu snorts, smirking with Suna as they give Atsumu thumbs up. Ginjima sighs, here come the backhanded compliments. 

“Thanks, Y/N.” Atsumu mutters. “‘Samu, you’d look great with blonde hair.” 

“Thanks, ‘Tsumu. Gin, you have nice eyebrows.” 

“…Thanks Osamu…” Ginjima sighs, he’s not sure if he’s sincere or not. “Suna, you have wonderful posture.” 

“Thank you, Gin. Atsumu, you’d be great as a wing spiker.” 

“THANKS SUNA.” Atsumu grits his teeth as he smiles widely at Suna, his smile screaming _‘I’ll kill you’_. “Gin, your hair colour suits you.” 

“…Thanks, Atsumu. Osamu, your hair colour is very similar to mine.” 

“Is that meant to be a compliment? Oh sh*t-” Osamu groans and facepalms, he wasn’t concentrating and now he’s messed up. 

“‘Samu’s out!” Atsumu sings, wriggling around in his seat gleefully. He’s just glad that he’s not the loser, now they’re in the safe zone. Suna just pats Osamu’s shoulder in encouragement, his smile says _‘it’s ok’_ but his eyes scream _‘LOSER!’_

“Heh, don’t mind.” Y/N smirks, the losses of those around her brings her joy. Ginjima just sighs. 

“Atsumu, your twin’s a great cook.” 

Atsumu’s face scrunches up as he tries to withhold the need to talk back to Ginjima, taking a few steady breaths. “Thanks, Gin. Suna, I love how energetic you always are.” 

“Thank you, Atsumu. Y/N, you’d look great with Sakusa.” 

Y/N punches the seat next to Suna as he gives her a sh*t-eating grin. She can’t retaliate or she’ll lose. “…Thank you very much, Rintarou. Hitoshi, you’re the only one I can trust.” 

“T-thank you, Y/N.” Ginjima tears up, touched. 

Ojiro and Akagi sweat-drop as they glance back to watch the second years continue playing their game. They’ve lost count of how many games they’ve played at this point. Sighing under their breath, they turn back to Kita and Oomimi, who are currently shuffling the Uno cards. 

“…Should we tell them we’ve got Uno?” Ojiro asks. 

“There’s no need, they seem to be havin’ fun back there.” Oomimi states, handing Kita his pile of cards to combine them. 

“Mm~ they sure are lively though, aren’t they tired from playin’ Itachiyama?” Akagi questions. Despite being the most energetic Inarizaki member, he’s feeling the fatigue weigh down on him. 

“…If anythin’, I think playin' Itachiyama gives Atsumu an adrenaline high… The other four are usually good at conservin’ their energy though.” Ojiro sighs, he should probably sleep soon. 

“As long as they don’t burn out, it’s fine. Interhigh Qualifiers are less than a month away, and we have exams not long after, I hope they’re keepin’ up with their studies…” Kita trails off, knowing that _certain_ members definitely aren’t. 

“I HATE THIS GAME! LET’S PLAY SOMETHIN’ ELSE!” Atsumu whines, throwing his arms around in a tantrum, Suna takes out his phone to film him. 

“Let’s play the ‘who can roast Atsumu the best’ game.” Suna suggests, everyone nods eagerly in response. 

“…I think I’ll just have a nap.” Atsumu grumbles. 

* * *

Y/N snuggles into her bed and hugs her pillow tightly, grateful to finally be back in Hyogo. 

“Bed-chan… Oh how I missed you…” She caresses her mattress as she lets out a pleasant sigh, smiling in content as she ignores her buzzing phone. It’s probably just messages from the group chat. 

After ‘resting her eyes’, Y/N’s _shocked_ and _appalled_ to come to the realisation that she accidentally ‘rested her eyes’ for 3 hours. As if that’s not a normal occurrence. Rolling over, she sluggishly takes out her phone, squinting at her screen as the bright light shines onto her face. Of course, there are a lot of message notifications. 

Deciding to look at her Instagram first, Y/N leisurely scrolls through her notifications. She drops her phone on her face in shock. 

Blushing in embarrassment, her hand trembles as she holds her phone in front of her face, not really believing what she’s seeing. 

**@sakusa_kiyoomi** started following you. 

Oh _no_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sakusa... please... stop being so awkward omg... It physically pains me... argh...
> 
> I know it's been less than a week but it still feels like so long since I've posted XD Maybe it's because I've legit been drowning in work this week :')) I wanted to post this chapter earlier but I've been so busy I've barely slept argh... 
> 
> I know no one asked but I want to complain about everything I've done this week :D (you can ignore this paragraph if you want-) In the past week I have; made a short animation, written a musical piece, recorded that musical piece (there were 3 different instruments and I had to play _and_ mix all of them...), storyboarded a music video for that piece, animated that music video, attended my seemingly never ending classes, traditionally painted a Studio Ghibli-like background (I'm a digital artist so painting traditionally is a painnn), honestly I'm pretty sure I've forgotten some things I've done since I've just been non-stop working all week :')) I usually sleep at around 5am but currently my sleep schedule is pushing towards 8am and... :))) Oh well :D
> 
> ANYWAYYY I hope you liked this chapter! I _did_ want Sakusa to have more presence, but realistically, Y/N's life revolves more around her team at the moment, his appearances will increase exponentially as they... y'know... _huehuehue_ get closer... 😏😏😏
> 
> If you don't really know how the Japanese high school timeline works, after this they'll be preparing for Hyogo Prefectual Qualifiers for Interhigh, after that they'll focus on their end of term exams, have summer break, and come back for Interhigh. Sakusa will reappear around this time =w= Hope you'll look forward to it! Thankyou so much for reading! :D 
> 
> (I'm still drowning in work but I'll definitely be uploading more now-) 
> 
> ~~~  
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	12. Tomorrow

As the month of May moves slowly by, the Hyogo Prefectural Interhigh Qualifiers draws nearer, simultaneously feeling too close and too far away. She doesn’t want to get ahead of herself, but Y/N’s confident that Inarizaki will win. Being a long-time powerhouse, having attended Nationals for three years consecutively, it’s what’s expected of them. But, she can’t let the pride get to her head, it goes against the team’s motto anyway. 

Sighing under her breath, Y/N glances at her door, still high alert for signs of anyone coming in despite her fatigue. It’s exhausting. Constantly arranging practise matches with college’s around the area, keeping up with school work, drawing regularly instead of sleeping, she can feel the exhaustion weighing down on her. She just hopes her friends won’t worry for her. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Y/N reaches for her phone despite only putting it down a few seconds ago. She really needs to stop instinctively reaching for her phone every few seconds. 

_‘Yo Y/N-chan! My instincts tell me you’re staying up late again (≖_≖ ) So as your senpai, I’m telling you to go to bed right now! I want my Otaku buddy to be healthy for Interhigh \\(★ω★)/ sO GO TO BED!’_

Smiling softly, Y/N rolls her eyes at his antics, classic Tendou. Knowing he’s probably lying in bed reading _Shonen Jump_ , Y/N briefly considers staying up even longer, not that he needs to know. Still, she’s touched. 

‘Alright Tendou-senpai, as long as you go to bed too.’ 

He replies almost instantly. 

_‘I’ll go for you! Take care~!!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°’_

Clutching her heart, Y/N sighs. Her conscience won’t let her stay up, not when she’s painfully aware of all the people that worry for her. Softly closing her laptop, Y/N tiptoes over to her bed, plopping onto it as she faceplants into her pillow. For now, she can rest. 

* * *

“Have you been takin’ care of yourself, Y/N?” Kita asks as she walks into the gym with Akagi, who quickly greets Kita before heading to the change room. 

“…I’ve been doin’ my best.” She mumbles sheepishly, discreetly looking around for an escape. No one wants to disappoint Kita, and she’ll be damned if she gets one of his disappointment lectures right now. 

“Ah, don’t worry Kita-san! She went to bed earlier than me last night, so it’s all good.” Ginjima cuts in, she’s almost certain she sees a halo glowing above his head. 

“I see, please continue to take care of yourself, Y/N. You are an important member of our team, and we would like you to be healthy.” 

“R-right.” She’s honestly so touched she might cry. Being on the receiving end of Kita’s caring does that to people. 

Ginjima waits until Kita bids them farewell before turning to Y/N with motherly look of disapproval. Guess she’s not safe afterall. 

“…Just ‘coz I saved you doesn’t mean I’m okay with you neglectin’ your health. You’re gonna take care of yourself and you’re gonna like it. ‘Kay?” 

“Why does this sound like a threat…” She mumbles, avoiding his gaze. 

“This _is_ a threat. You’re gonna take care of yourself, you don’t have a choice.” Ginjima states, patting her shoulder as he sighs, silently letting her know that he’s worried. She doesn’t want to worry anyone. 

“You can’t escape. You’re gonna be healthy, you don’t have a choice.” Osamu says ominously, suddenly appearing behind them before heading to a court to stretch. 

Y/N sighs as she runs her hand down her face in an attempt to hide her grateful smile. “And what happens if I don’t?” 

“Then _we’ll_ take care of you~! _Ohhhhhhh~ Scaryyy~!_ ” Suna whispers, walking past as he also heads towards the court. Y/N rolls her eyes as she pushes him, making him fake stumble as he pretends to fall to the ground and die. He’s always in the mood for dramatics. 

“Suna… get off the floor…” Ginjima sighs, it’s too early for him to deal with everyone’s antics, it’s a blessing that Atsumu’s already busy practising his serves instead of bothering him. 

“Don’t worry, Gin. I’m just wiping the floor squeaky clean so Y/N can see her eyebags in the reflection.” 

“Oi, that’s rich comin’ from you. And I don’t have eyebags.” Y/N scowls, lifting her shoe above his face in attempts to threaten him. He just smirks lazily as he looks up at her. 

“Alright alright, both of you knock it off.” Ginjima pushes Y/N away from Suna and lifts him up off the floor. “Go do whatever you’re s’posed to be doin’, geez… You’ve all got twisted ways of showin’ you ‘care’ for each other…” 

Ginjima sighs, shooing them away as they reluctantly go do whatever they’re meant to be doing. However, it seems like ‘whatever they’re meant to be doing’ is roasting Atsumu together. 

_‘Soz’, Ojiro-san. I ain’t gonna keep them in line.’_ Ginjima deadpans, turning a blind eye to the shenanigans around him. 

While they have _questionable_ ways of showing they care for each other, he’s never once doubted the bonds of the second years. Although, it would be nice if they showed their sincerity through more conventional methods, at least the sentiment is there. 

_‘Or wait… sometimes I can’t tell if they’re being sincere or not…’_ Ginjima thinks, trying to forget the time when Y/N and Suna held Atsumu down so Osamu could spike a ball at his head, in attempts to knock him out and make him 'rest'. (They all ended up getting in trouble with Kita.) 

Good times. 

“Whaddya mean the answer is B??” Atsumu screeches, throwing his book across the room. Thankfully, Osamu somehow catches it one-handed and slams it back into his face. 

“Whaddya mean you’re stupid??” Y/N mocks in a high-pitched voice, faceplanting into her book as she sighs. Why’s she trying to help him again? 

Despite the fact that Interhigh Qualifiers are quickly approaching, Kita never fails to remind everyone how important it is to keep up with their studies, encouraging them to study together. Since the whole group studying together would only cause trouble, Y/N’s currently in the clubroom studying with the twins, while Kagawa’s in the library with Ginjima and Suna. There’s no way the twins would be allowed anywhere near the library. 

“Argh! Rude! Just answer my question wouldja?!” 

“Oh? What did I mean when I said ‘the answer is B’?? Simple.” Y/N cups her hands around her mouth and whispers into his ear. _“I meant the answer is B…!”_

“Oh.” 

“Yes, ‘oh’. Geez I- wait who said that?” 

“It was obviously ‘Samu, N/N. Geez woman, don’tcha pay attention to us at all? I always have wayyy more to say than just ‘oh.’ Anyways, what didja want ‘Samu- Oh.” 

Both Atsumu and Y/N halt in their actions as they stare blankly at Osamu, who’s not-so-discreetly looking at Y/N’s phone, his expression unreadable. Noticing that he has their attention, he attempts to act nonchalant as he puts it back onto the table, their eyes following his movements carefully. Quietly returning back to his book, Osamu puts his head down and avoids making eye-contact. 

“…You have 20 seconds to explain yourself.” Y/N says carefully, staring at him. 

“Oi! You only give _me_ 10 seconds??” Atsumu complains. 

“You have 30 seconds to explain yourself.” She corrects herself, crossing her arms as she narrows her eyes at Osamu, ignoring Atsumu’s whining in the background. 

“…Your phone was buzzin’ so… I just read your notifications.” Osamu mutters, not taking his eyes off his work as he continues writing. He’s just making her and Atsumu more suspicious though. 

“…I see.” Y/N mutters, slowly taking her phone back and sitting on it, narrowing her eyes at Osamu as she watches him carefully. 

Atsumu’s eyes flick between the two, darting back and forth in interest, staying quiet for now. 

Nodding to her words, Osamu doesn’t lift his head, keeping his eyes trained onto his homework. Slowly lowering her gaze down to her work, Y/N silently observes Osamu in her peripheral vision, she’d be a fool to not be alert. 

“…So why’ve you been talkin’ to Sakusa?” 

“WHAT?!” Atsumu screeches, falling out of his chair as he flips the table, thankfully Osamu and Y/N slam their fists down onto it, saving all their things from lying across the room. They ignore the drama queen. 

“I don’t really, he just asks me random questions from time to time, and sometimes says my art looks nice but that’s about it.” Y/N explains, rolling her eyes. 

“Oh I see. Y’know, I’m startin’ to see a pattern.” Osamu says, finally taking his eyes off his work and looking her in the eyes. 

“Really? Do tell.” 

“Shirabu Kenjirou, Akaashi Keiji, Kozume Kenma, Sakusa Kiyoomi, what do these four all have in common?” Osamu asks, leaning back in his seat as he strokes his chin. 

“Uhh… they’re all dudes?” 

“Yes, but that’s not what I’m gettin’ at.” 

“They’re all volleyball players…?” 

“Keep goin’…” 

“If we ignore Sakusa, they’re all setters!” Atsumu calls out, he gets ignored again. 

“I don’t know?? Bruh just tell me what you’re gettin’ at.” Y/N deadpans, narrowing her eyes at Osamu as he smirks subtly. 

“You like guys whose names start with ‘K’~” Osamu says, smirking widely at her as she and Atsumu blink dumbly at him. 

“What? No I don’t.” 

“…”

“Oh my gosh I do.” Y/N mutters in horror, eyes widening as she staggers back, grabbing Atsumu’s arm for emotional support. They’ll never let her live this down. 

“I… what do I do with this information…?” Atsumu mutters, lifting his hands towards his face as they shake uncontrollably. 

“Nothin’. You don’t even do anythin’ anyways.” Osamu deadpans, turning back to his homework as he ignores them. Suddenly, Y/N grabs his collar and glares heatedly at him, gritting her teeth at his smug expression. 

“Listen, don’t go sayin’ _anything_ to Rintarou, ‘kay? Argh that boy will have too much fun…” 

“Oops, too late.” 

_“What.”_

Taking out his phone, Osamu shows his messages with Suna to Y/N, smiling innocently. “I already messaged him, he’s also on his way here.” 

“THAT BASTARD-!” 

“I sensed chaos and came as fast as I could!” Suna declares as he slams the clubroom door open, panting slightly from running. “What’s this I hear about confirmation for my ship? Things are finally coming together I see I see.” 

“Why’re you so excited? Aren’t you supposed to be the one that hardly talks?” Y/N deadpans, waving at Ginjima as he also runs into the clubroom, he was probably chasing Suna. 

“Suna! We can’t just leave Kagawa-chan there!” 

“Shh I’m talking here.” Suna shushes Ginjima as he makes himself at home at the table. “Anyway, I’m bored.” 

“You abandoned Kagawa-chan, because you’re bored?” Y/N asks, completely unimpressed. 

“Don’t say it like that. I merely blessed her with freedom from my presence, she’s very grateful by the way.” 

“Seems likely.” 

“I’m bored as well! Let’s play volleyball!” Atsumu cheers, quickly packing away his books as everyone stares at him, unimpressed. Sensing their gazes, Atsumu tilts his head questioningly as he looks up at them. “What?” 

“You’re takin’ a break? With those grades?” Ginjima asks. 

“Ouch. Harsh. I ain’t failin’ so it’s all good~” 

“Barely.” Osamu mutters, packing away his books as well, he knows that he can’t get any work done if the whole group’s here. 

The group of boys turn to look at Y/N, silently asking for her permission to play volleyball. (She _is_ the only one with a key to the gym.) Mentally weighing out the pros and cons, Y/N sighs as she carefully puts away all her books as well. 

“Fine. Coach should be okay with it, plus the sun’s stayin’ out for longer since Summer’s approachin’. Losin’ team pays for our next group activity.” 

“Sounds great!” Atsumu cheers, grabbing his volleyball bag so he can change. 

“Oh, also the teams are ‘Division A’ and ‘Division B’.” Y/N calls as she leaves the room, letting them change. 

“Argh.” Atsumu and Suna groan, facepalming as Osamu and Ginjima snicker at them. They’ll never live it down. 

* * *

“See~ Was that so bad~?” Atsumu teases as Y/N glares at him, clinging onto Osamu for support as he half-drags her to her bus stop. 

“How did you convince me to play with you…?” Y/N mutters in distain, sighing at how easily she was convinced. Ginjima had to leave early because his mum called for him, leaving the four of them behind in the gym. Rather than going home, Atsumu begged Y/N to play with Osamu, pulling out his puppy dog eyes that somehow managed to convince her. She regrets it immensely. 

“Guess you were just pulled in from Atsumu’s begging. It’s hard saying no when he’s so passionate.” Suna says, slightly annoyed that he has to help carry her things, but he’s rightfully keeping quiet, not wanting to complain. 

Rolling his eyes at them, Osamu readjusts his grip on Y/N to try and help her easier. “You doin’ okay?” 

“No… My legs are killin’ me… but they’re not doin’ a good job ‘coz I’m still alive.” Y/N complains. “And I know I’m gonna get bruises on my arms… Argh this is all your fault!” 

“Oi! For someone so tired, you sure have a lot of energy to hit me!” 

“It’s my duty and my burden that was gifted to me from above. I have no choice but to assume my position and make you suffer the consequences of your own actions!” Y/N suddenly yells, the fatigue making her act out of character, not that she cares. 

Rolling his eyes, Suna scowls as he walks behind the group, since his hands are full with her belongings, he can’t film her in this state. What a waste of blackmail potential. 

“On the bright side, you’re really exhausted now!” Atsumu cheers, making everyone question his stupidity. 

“…How the hell is that the bright side?” Y/N deadpans. “Or do you want me to beat you up?” 

“Sheesh! So violent! I’m just sayin’, since you’re so tired, you needa go to bed early tonight~ Get some good rest instead of stayin’ up all night like you usually do.” Atsumu explains earnestly. 

“…I swear, if you say this was all an elaborate plan to get me to sleep…” 

“Ehh not really… I’m just graspin’ for excuses, please don’t hurt me-!” 

* * *

“Go straight home, no extra practise today, got it? Have a good meal, shower or do whatever you usually do, and go straight to bed, alrighty? Tomorrow’s the big day so we need to be in tip-top shape! And this is a given, but don’t be late! Dismissed!” 

Usually, Y/N would be staying back with Atsumu for extra practise, but for the first time in a while, she’s walking to her bus stop with Akagi. 

“Qualifiers are finally tomorrow~ Man I’m so excited!” Akagi laughs, stretching his arms into the air as he takes a deep breath. 

“I am too, Atsumu’s been on an adrenaline high for the whole week and he’ll finally release it tomorrow. Can’t wait to see all you guys play though.” Y/N says, smiling lightly. It feels like so much time has passed, yet at the same time, none at all. Tomorrow will finally be their first official game, and she can’t wait. 

After checking over her sports bags for the hundredth time, Y/N mentally considers rechecking them again, just in case she’s forgotten something. She probably would have, but her thoughts get interrupted by a message from Ginjima, telling her to stop worrying and go to bed. 

It still isn’t midnight yet, so Y/N’s not tired at all. However, not wanting to commit to drawing, she decides to just lay on her bed and scroll through her phone. She constantly rotates through all her apps mindlessly, refreshing everything over and over again, just waiting for more content to magically appear in front of her. 

After getting bored, Y/N scrolls through her contacts, wanting to message someone to ease her boredom. Seeing Komori online, she decides to message him. 

‘Yoyo~ What’re you doing, Komori-kun?’ 

His icon starts typing something almost instantly. 

_‘L/N-chan! Hey! Sorry but I’m just about to go to bed, I’m just looking through my phone at the moment though!’_

Y/N pouts, of course all the athletes are going to bed early, she should have known. 

‘Sorry if I’m bothering you then! I’m just boreddd’ 

_‘Haha nah it’s fine! Aren’t you usually drawing around this time though?’_

‘Yeah but Interhigh Qualifiers are tomorrow for us down here in Hyogo, so I should probs go to bed earlier.’ 

_‘Oh I see! Good luck L/N-chan! Hope everything goes well! Our Qualifiers aren’t until later so yeah! Anyway, sorry but I need to sleep now, so byebye! :D’_

‘Goodnight~’ 

Sighing, Y/N rolls over and faceplants into her pillow. She simultaneously wants to sleep but also doesn’t want to. Checking the time again, it’s still not midnight yet, and she feels like she’s wasting a whole night of work she could be doing. Sacrifices have to be made though. 

Y/N sighs as she reopens her apps, deciding to go through them one last time before submitting herself to sleep. 

Rolling onto her side, Y/N drops her phone as it suddenly vibrates. ‘Yass notificationnn!’ She mentally cheers, eagerly opening it up. 

_‘GO TO BEDDDDD!!!!!!! And good luck at Qualifiers tomorrow~ ﾟ･:*｡(ꈍᴗꈍ)｡*:･ﾟ’_

Y/N snickers softly under her breath, classic Tendou. Knowing that Hyogo and Miyagi have their Interhigh Qualifiers at around the same time, she decides to wish him luck as well. 

‘Good luck to you too, Tendou-senpai. Make sure you go to bed as well!’ 

Finally turning her phone off, Y/N puts it in the charger as she snuggles into bed, preparing for a good night’s rest. But when her phone buzzes from a notification, she instantly reaches for it and turns it back on, sleep can wait. 

After having a little conversation with Tendou, she finally puts her phone back down, for real this time. Closing her eyes, she exhales softly. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

Instantly reaching for her phone, Y/N turns it on to look at her new message, eyes widening in surprise when she realises who it is. 

_‘Akaashi-san? We haven’t even talked since the Fukurodani practise match…’_ Y/N thinks uneasily as she opens up the message. 

_‘Hello L/N-san. I hope you are doing well. Shirofuku-san informed me earlier that the Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers are tomorrow, so I wish you and your team the best of luck although it is unnecessary. Akaashi Keiji.’_

Y/N smiles as she reads the message, it’s a nice change to the strange cryptic messages she gets from the twins and Suna, so she’s grateful. After thanking him, Y/N finally puts her phone down and promises herself that she’ll stop instinctively reaching towards her phone, as long as it doesn’t buzz with another notification. 

Tomorrow’s a big day anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my Inarizaki boys =w= 
> 
> Hope you liked the chapter~ OuO Interhigh Qualifiers are coming so ya~ :D Unfortunately we don't know any Hyogo teams other than Inarizaki so welp :')) I do have some ideas though... :) 
> 
> The whole 'Y/N likes guys whose names start with 'K'' was actually a realisation I came upon for myself :))) I realised that almost all my favourites have 'K' as the first letter in their first name and I... O-O I don't know... XD
> 
> Also mild manga spoiler, but omg?? Have you guys read the new chapter?? I'm legit so proud of Atsumu omg 😭😭😭 Like omg that's my boy right there 😭😭 Making me proud 😭😭 He simultaneously feels like my brother and also my son?? I don't know how that works but it does XDD (Also waiting for a Sakusa centered chapter, please Furudate. It'll save me and end me at the same time. I need it ;-;) 
> 
> Anyway~ Thankyou for reading! I've mapped out a bunch of future chapters and I hope you like what I have planned! OuO
> 
> ~~~  
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	13. Seize Your Moment

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 1_

It’s finally the first day of the Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh. Being one of the Top 8 seeds in the prefecture, Inarizaki gets placed in the A block, separated from the other seeded schools. With over 50 schools competing for the chance to qualify for Interhigh and be one of the two schools that get to represent Hyogo, it’s natural for competitive spirits to be high, afterall; everyone came here to win. Not that it matters. 

Everyone’s eyes are on Inarizaki. 

Striding through the doors as they enter the gym, the Inarizaki team pays no mind to the surrounding people that subconsciously back away from them, giving them space. They’re used to the constant attention. 

“It’s Inarizaki High…!” 

“Oh my gosh it’s the Miya twins!” 

“They’re so intimidatin’…” 

The whispers follow them everywhere, as well as the uneasy glances of admiration and fear. Atsumu smirks to himself as he leisurely walks beside his stoic teammates, he doesn’t really care for the attention, but he does enjoy the fearful looks he gets from his opponents. Anyone scared of him outside the court, can’t possibly think they can defeat him on the court. 

“Just another average day~” He hums to himself, making Y/N and Osamu roll their eyes at him. 

“I guess every day would be the same for trash.” Y/N deadpans. 

“Rude! Can’tcha just be nice to me on the first day??” Atsumu complains, tired of always been bullied. 

“‘Kay.” 

“…That’s it?” 

“What? Bein’ quiet is the entire extent of my kindness.” She explains, smiling innocently up at him. He scowls in response, huffing as he crosses his arms and turns his head away childishly. Some players accidentally make eye-contact with him, instantly looking away and sweating in fear. 

Atsumu’s the biggest superstar in the premises. 

“Who’re we versin’ again?” 

“Itami High School.” Y/N answers, holding out a sheet with all the brackets written on it. “Shouldn’t you already know this? We went over it yesterday…” _‘And they’re literally right on the other side of the court.’_

Atsumu shrugs boredly as he starts changing into his volleyball uniform, they’re playing the first game in the A block. “Maybe I just forgot. Scrubs ain’t worth rememberin’ anyway.” 

_‘He’s got such a terrible personality…’_ They all deadpan, used to Atsumu’s conceited nature. 

“Argh… what luck…” 

“Can’t believe we’re versin’ Inarizaki first… couldn’t they put us in a different block?” 

“Honestly, I think I’d prefer goin’ against Nakiusagi Tech…” 

Their coach sighs as she listens to the Itami Volleyball Club players complain about their matchup, already giving up before the game even starts. She doesn’t blame them, but if they’re going to be so easily disheartened, what’s the point of being here? 

“Can’t you boys… Y’know… get fired up or somethin’? You guys are actin’ like it’s the end of the world…” She trails off, sighing when she realises they’re not really processing her words. 

“Coach, it’s practically the end of the volleyball season for us, and it hasn’t even started.” One of the members complains. 

“Guys! Don’t give up so quickly!” Their captain cheers, patting some of them on the back as he beams brightly at them. “Think about it like this; we get to play Inarizaki! So many teams _wish_ they got this opportunity! We’re the lucky ones here!” 

“Pfft-!” The Itami players laugh at the encouragement, feeling a little better. “Alright then, Cap’n. Can’t let you down eh? Let’s do our best out there!” 

The rest of the teammates cheer as they step onto the court, preparing for warmups. 

“Ohh~! They’re gettin’ fired up over there, I’m gettin’ fired up too!” Akagi comments cheerfully, slipping his kneepads on as he watches the Itami team start their receiving drills. 

“Hm? That’s good, I don’t like playin’ against people that suck at the game.” Atsumu muses, stretching his legs as he observes the opposing team carefully, in all honesty, they don’t seem like much of a threat. 

Rolling their eyes at his trashy attitude, the Inarizaki members ignore Atsumu as they start stretching as well, preparing for their own warmups. 

“Hm… I’ve got a friend from Itami High.” Kagawa says, nudging Y/N as she watches them. “Apparently this’ll be the last time their third years compete since they’re retirin’ after Interhigh, so basically this is their last match.” 

“Oh really? That’s too bad.” Y/N says, shrugging as takes out her notebook. “Their Captain seems so excited too.” 

“Let’s have a good match!” 

The crowd buzzes with excitement as they watch the Inarizaki team enter the court along with the Itami team. A huge crowd of fans gather in the audience, yelling out the names of the Inarizaki players as they wave around their fan signs. Their screams and cheers resonate loudly through the gym, but it’s nothing compared to the booming of the Inarizaki cheer squad. 

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

“Yo, Itami’s servin’ first alright? Let’s cut ‘em off at one.” Coach Kurosu says, getting a thumbs up from Ojiro and Akagi. 

Letting out a shaky breath, Itami’s captain instantly sends a serve over, aiming for Atsumu. Quickly moving out of the way, Atsumu makes way for Akagi to receive it for him, already positioning himself for a quick attack. 

“‘Samu!” Atsumu yells, sending the toss to Osamu who’s already ready for his toss, spiking it down with unbelievable strength. 

_First round: Inarizaki – Itami Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Itami_

“Nice kill, Osamu! Osamu!” The crowd goes wild as Atsumu and Osamu wave at them, knowing exactly how to hype up the crowd. Atsumu smirks to himself as he prepares for his serve. 

“Let’s get it on the first one!” Itami’s Captain yells, doing his best to mask his nerves. Everyone knows how great of a server Atsumu is. 

Slowly lifting up his hand, Atsumu clenches his fist, silencing the crowd instantly. Everyone waits in anticipation as he tosses the ball. 

_Inarizaki [02 – 00] Itami_

“NO TOUCH SERVICE ACE!” 

“Kya!! Miya-senpai!” “Atsumuuu!!!” 

Itami’s Captain takes a deep breath as he tries to calm his nerves. He needs to be strong, his teammates are counting on him. Clapping them on the back, he beams brightly at them, giving them thumb up. 

“It’s just a serve, what d’ya think we’ve been practisin’ so hard for? Let’s end this now!” 

“Right!” 

“Hurry up! Inarizaki’s playin’ on the A court! If we don’t hurry, they’ll finish!” 

“They’re on the second set already?? Damn, that’s fast!” 

“Duh! Who d’ya think they are??” 

_First round: Itami – Inarizaki Match – Second Set_  
_Itami [11 – 23] Inarizaki_

 _‘Dammit…’_ Panting as their coach calls their final timeout, the Itami players silently drag their feet over to the bench, eyes trained on the floor. It’s disheartening, but what can they do? Do they even have a chance against Inarizaki? 

“…Y’know.” Their captain begins, gaining their interest. “I always thought our banner was cool. _‘Seize Your Moment!’_ How cool is that? We’ve all been workin’ hard ‘til now, tryin’ to seize our own moment, so why’re we givin’ up?” 

Lifting his head to face his teammates, he gives them a strained smile. “My time as Cap’n is gonna be short, I know. And I probably won’t be here for this team’s big moment. But…” 

“You know damn well, I’m gonna get my moment today.” 

_FWEET!_ Silencing the crowd once again, Atsumu tosses the ball in the air to serve. 

_BAM!_

“Mine!” Itami’s Libero yells as he dives for the ball, barely getting it up in time. Their setter instantly runs into position. 

“Left!” Suna calls out, moving to line up with their Wing Spiker, usually he’d be slacking off since they have a large lead, but after getting told off by Kita in the timeout, he doesn’t want to risk getting told off again. He blocks the ball. 

_Itami [11 – 24] Inarizaki_

Gritting their teeth, the Itami members let out a loud sigh as they shuffle back into their positions. They can’t help it, they just feel so… 

_‘Hopeless…’_

“Don’t you dare lose faith! Seize your moment!” 

Their Captain claps his hands as he grins brightly at them, it’s a proud smile, unlike his strained one from earlier. And they realise, just how much this team means to him. Even if they give up, he’s here to pick them right up. 

“Pfft- Didja just quote our banner? You can be so cringy, Cap’n.” Itami’s third year Middle Blocker laughs, slapping him on the back cheerfully. “You guys heard the man, we didn’t come ‘ere to lose, y’know?” 

_‘That’s right, no one came here to lose.’_

_BAM!_

“ALRIGHT!” Itami’s Captain yells as he receives the ball, it’s a little off, but it’s high enough to give their setter time. 

“Got it!” Their setter calls, jumping to toss the ball as Suna watches him carefully. 

_‘Who’s he going to toss-’_

“Cap’n!” Suna’s eyes widen in surprise as he watches Itami’s Captain jump for a back-row attack, he honestly didn’t think of that. Have they ever done this before? And didn’t he just receive the ball? Taken by surprise, he jumps a little late. 

_Bam!_

“Hnng!” Ojiro groans as he dives for the ball, managing to touch it with his left hand, but it bounces out of bounds. 

_Itami [12 – 24] Inarizaki_

“…” Itami’s Captain lets out a shaky breath as he stares at the other side of the court. All the Inarizaki players turn to stare at him, and for some reason, he doesn’t feel afraid at all. 

“Y…YOOOOOOO!!!!! NICE KILL!!” His teammates cheer as they jump up and down, congratulating him with huge smiles. 

“Push it! Push it! Itami! Do it! Do it! Itami!” 

Hearing the cheers of the Itami cheer squad, the members turn around and smile brightly, giving them peace signs as they chuckle and move back into their positions. 

“Huh, so they do have a cheer squad.” Atsumu comments, glancing up at the crowd. “And damn, they actually got us good!” 

“Atsumu! Don’t say that-!” Ginjima hisses, nervously looking at Ojiro who groans in despair. 

“I’m sorry!” 

“Look what you did!” Ginjima whispers, slapping Atsumu in the back of the head. He let’s out a small _‘oops’_ before rubbing the back of his head in pain. 

The whistle blows to signal for Itami’s serve, their setter getting up and moving to position. Taking a deep breath, he bounces the volleyball a few times, before taking another deep breath. 

_‘If I… No. I’ll get this point.’_

_FWEET!_ He aims for Atsumu as he serves the ball, and as always, Akagi moves to receive it for him. 

“Aran!” Atsumu yells, tossing to him. 

“One-touch!” Itami’s Middle Blocker calls out, gritting his teeth at the pain in his hand. Ojiro Aran’s spikes are too powerful. 

_‘It’s too early to go home…!’_ Itami’s Libero wheezes as he sprints after the ball, diving for it as it falls towards the floor. 

But he is too late. 

_First round: Itami – Inarizaki Match – Second Set_  
_Itami [12 – 25] Inarizaki_

The tweet of the whistle pierces through the heavy atmosphere as it signifies the end of their match. Their efforts weren’t enough afterall. 

“Alright!” Atsumu yells as he jumps up and pulls everyone into a group hug, smiling brightly in joy. He laughs at Osamu and Suna’s distain for the human contact, pointing at their disgusted faces as he continues laughing at them. 

Rolling her eyes at their childishness, Y/N throws the towels at their faces, smiling as she holds out their water bottles to them. “Good job out there, you guys played well.” 

“Oh? Praise from the cold Y/N? Suna didja catch that on film??” 

“Of course not. Why would I have my phone on the court?” Suna deadpans, also wishing he’d caught it on camera. It’s rare for them to get such genuine praise from her. 

“Oi! You kids can play later, turn ‘round and thank the audience wouldja?” Coach Kurosu scowls, tired of looking after such childish second years. 

“Thank you for the support!” 

Both Inarizaki and Itami bow towards the crowds, before heading back to their bench to pack up and leave. 

Hearing the sniffles of his underclassmen, Itami’s Captain takes out a pack of tissues and holds it out to them. Smiling softly as he pats them on the shoulder. This is the end of his high school volleyball career. 

“Cap’n…” The first and second years mumble, trying to snort back their tears. “We’ll work hard! We’ll make you proud! We’ll keep trainin’ until we defeat Inarizaki! We promise!” 

Taken aback, their Captain chuckles as he nudges his fellow third year teammates, they smile at their underclassmen. 

“Why’re you stoppin’ after defeatin’ Inarizaki, huh? You satisfied with just that?” He chuckles as he ruffles their hair, smiling fondly at them. “I hope I can watch you all at nationals one day. You bet I’m gonna be right there, cheerin’ for you.” 

Sobbing loudly, the Itami team pulls each other into a massive group hug, clinging onto each other as they bawl their eyes out. Soon, they’ll seize their moment. 

* * *

“I’m gonna go refill the bottles, alright? Make sure you watch Nakiusagi carefully.” Y/N says, collecting her sports bags as she prepares to leave. “They’re gonna play in the G block soon, I’ll go right there afterwards.” 

“We will watch them carefully, Y/N. Thank you for all your hard work.” Kita says, nodding towards her as he leads the team towards the G block. 

“U-um… Would you like me to come with you, L/N-senpai?” Inoue asks timidly, still slightly scared of her. 

“Oh, it’s fine, Inoue-chan.” Y/N smiles warmly. “It would probably be best if you stayed with the rest of the team, just in case somethin’ happens.” 

“Somethin’ happens??” 

Y/N sighs as she wistfully stares off into the distance. “With this team… anythin’ can happen…” 

She probably should have taken up Inoue’s offer to accompany her. If she did, she wouldn’t be in this situation right now. On the outside Y/N looks completely calm and composed, but internally she's screaming in despair and anxiety. 

_‘There's so many people watching me argh I think I'm gonna die...’_ Painfully aware of the eyes on her, she continues to walk down the corridor. 

_‘Actually, dying wouldn't be so bad. Yes, I want to die, please come at me.’_ Y/N continues to suffer under the watchful eyes of the surrounding players, in an attempt to escape her anxiety infested thoughts, she tries to internally scream louder to drown them out. 

The students around her glance at her anxiously, her dignified manner and maroon jacket intimidating them. She gives off an air of elegance that makes her unapproachable, in reality, it's just her anxiety screaming at them to stay away. She should have known that her maroon jacket and the word ‘INARIZAKI’ boldly written on her back would do nothing but attract attention. 

Mentally sighing in relief, it becomes a little easier for her to breathe once the water fountain comes into view. However, the relief is short-lived when she notices a girl wearing a mint green jacket currently filling up bottles herself. 

_‘Yabukawa High…’_

Somehow noticing her stare, the girl glances behind her and flinches in shock. _‘Inarizaki’s manager??’_

“H-hello?” _‘Ahh!! Why did I stutter?? Why did I say that like a question?? Why am I freaking out?? She’s just Inarizaki’s manager, get ahold of yourself!’_ The girl internally panics, she can’t help but feel intimidated around Y/N. 

“Hello.” Y/N replies, smiling slightly as she puts down her bag of bottles. 

“Ahh! Sorry I’m almost done!” 

“No no it’s fine, take your time. I’m not really in a rush.” Y/N says, feeling a little bad for scaring her so much. “Congratulations for winning your first match.” 

“Oh, thank you! Congrats to, um… to you too, haha…” She trails off awkwardly, of course Inarizaki won. “Oh right! I’m Yabukawa’s manager! But uhh, you probably already figured that out… We’re lookin’ forward to playin’ you guys in the next round!” 

“Thank you, we’re lookin’ forward to it as well.” 

They fall into an awkward silence as Yabukawa’s manager tries to rake her brain to find something to say. Does she need to say anything? Maybe Y/N doesn’t really want to talk?? Sensing her discomfort, Y/N tries to make her feel a little better. 

“Everyone thinks Inarizaki’s an invincible team, that it’s basically confirmed we’re gonna win.” She starts, gaining the girl’s attention. “But y’know, the boys are pretty nervous as well, no one’s victory is confirmed, and everyone’s got such high expectations for them. So they're pretty nervous.” 

“Huh? Really??” 

_‘No…’_ “Of course, it’s natural isn’t it? We’re all students here, everyone in this gym has an equal chance of going to nationals, that’s why we’re here, right?” 

“Hmm… that’s true…” 

“Right? So there’s no need to be so nervous. Let’s all do our best out there.” Y/N smiles encouragingly, making Yabukawa’s manager smile brightly in return. 

“Right! Thank you!” 

“Tch… it’s easy for the elites to say…” Someone mutters, scowling at Y/N as she finishes up filling up the bottles. 

“I heard that Inarizaki’s manager acts all nice, but she’s actually really manipulative, that’s why they call her _‘Foxy’_ …” 

“No wonder… she’s just givin’ the other team false hope before destroyin’ their dreams… Tch… all those foxes are the same…” 

Y/N calmly zips up her bag carefully as she pays them no mind, it’s normal for the jealous whispers to follow her everywhere, and with someone as conceited as Atsumu on their team, she doesn’t exactly blame them for their assumptions. But well, people will always try to justify their hatred for the highly skilled. 

Heading towards the G block, Y/N side-eyes the players that were gossiping about her, making them flinch and sweat in fear. Averting her eyes, she continues down the corridor without a care in the world. 

Weaklings are always speechless against the powerful. 

* * *

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 2_

_Quaterfinals: Himeji Tech – Inarizaki Match – Second Set_  
_Himeji Tech [14 – 25] Inarizaki_

“Damn… it’s the fourth round but Inarizaki’s still dominatin’… They’re crazy! Who the hell’s still winnin’ in straight sets??” 

Bowing politely at the audience, the Inarizaki team strides off the court as the next teams shuffle in, preparing for their match. Catching sight of the reporters and interviewers, they pause slightly for the cameras, waiting as they get approached. 

“Miya Atsumu! Is it alright if we get a picture and an interview??” 

“Ojiro Aran! May we please speak with you??” 

“How does it feel to win the first four rounds in straight sets?? You guys are dominatin’ the competition!” 

“Thank you for your kind words.” Kita smiles politely as he speaks into the microphone that’s held out for him. As Inarizaki’s Captain, it’s naturally his position to represent the team. 

Atsumu and Ojiro break off from the group, having their own solo interviews as the rest of the team stands around idly, waving at some fans and cameras that crowd around them. Sighing to herself, Y/N waits patiently for everyone to finish up with their interviews, she’s become used to the constant attention the idol-like team gets. Just because she’s used to it, doesn’t mean she has to like it. 

“Just another average day.” Suna comments boredly, wanting to take his phone out. He stops himself from taking it out though, knowing he’d just get told off. 

“Strange that they’re not tryin’ to interview you, Suna. You’re pretty popular.” Ginjima comments. 

“Hm, maybe…” 

“He’d get heaps of interviews if he worked harder.” Y/N deadpans. “He’s just lazy.” 

“Wow, the callout. I’m hurt.” 

“Can’t blame him.” Osamu mumbles. “We can’t all be hardworkin’ and passionate like ‘Tsumu.” 

“…You got that right.” Suna mutters. 

On the bus ride back, a few members sit around idly, staring out the window or at their phones as the others nap. Getting tired of turning her phone on and off over and over again, Y/N turns to look at Suna, who’s sitting quietly beside her, eyes glued to his phone. Rolling her eyes at him, she takes the phone out of his hands and smiles innocently. 

Suna pouts as he half-heartedly tries to reach for his phone, if he was actually trying it’d be easy since his arms are so long, but he decides to humour her. 

“What do you want from me…” He mumbles, sighing as he leans back into his seat. 

“Just testing your endurance, d’ya think you can survive the rest of the bus ride back without your phone?” 

“Nope.” 

“That’s nice. You seem like you always want to die anyway, so technically I’m doin’ you a favour.” 

“Your logic displeases me.” Suna grumbles, crossing his arms in protest as he swivels around in his seat and leans on her, putting extra weight on her shoulder as he sinks lower and lower in his seat. 

“Oi, stop that. You’re so heavy.” She scowls, pushing him up so that he’d sit up straight. He instantly leans back down though. 

“Oh? Now I’m heavy? Didn’t you bully me earlier when you said I was super light and skinny? Hmm? My my, how the turntables.” 

“Argh, you’re so _annoyinggg_.” 

“You’re the one that took my phone away. Now you have to deal with me.” 

“Maybe I’ll switch seats with Atsumu…” 

“I sincerely apologise. Please stay.” 

“That’s what I thought." 

Drowsily rubbing his eyes, Atsumu briefly wakes up from his nap, stretching gingerly in his seat. Blinking a few times in attempts to overcome his fatigue, he gently headbutts Osamu’s shoulder, who glances at him questioningly. 

“What?” 

Atsumu yawns sleepily and accidentally whacks Osamu’s face. “…I feel like someone’s trash talkin’ me…” 

“Oh. Didn’t realise you could hear my thoughts.” 

“Huh?? What’s that s’posed to mean ‘Samu??” 

“Nice weather, am I right?” 

“Rintarou, if that’s the best conversation starter you can come up with; I’m so sorry for your loss.” Y/N deadpans, facepalming three times for dramatic effect. 

“Rude, the weather’s not even nice anyway.” Suna sighs. “So hot…” 

“I know I am, but please try to contain yourself.” 

“I-” 

Ginjima bonks the two of them on the head from his seat behind them, sleepily glaring at them. “Couldja please shut up?? Some people are tryna sleep!” 

“We are too…” Suna mumbles, rubbing the top of his head. 

“Forever…” Y/N whispers, smirking with Suna as they settle back into their seats. She hands his phone back to him and he gratefully takes it back, putting it in his pocket as he crosses his arms and closes his eyes. She follows suit. They nap for the rest of the ride back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the new chapter! OuO All the extensive research I did on high school volleyball in Japan is finally paying off... it's kind of crazy how they have both the semifinals and finals on the same day... But oh well :D (And yes, Hyogo gets to send 2 schools to Interhigh, but only 1 school to the Spring Tournament) 
> 
> Anyway~ I've been super busy with drawing and the millions of other projects I've given myself :')) but luckily I'm starting to sleep a little more, so that's good =w= 
> 
> _Narrator: despite literally drowning in work, she seriously considers drawing fanart for "Mah Boi Ginjima" since it seems like hardly anyone else will._ (I wish I had time argh... I'd totally draw a bunch of these scenes if I had the time :'))) 
> 
> Thankyou so much for reading! OuO I've mapped out a lot of notable events that are going to happen throughout the chapters and we're _finally_ getting to the places I've been desperately wanting to write for a long time... >:D I hope you enjoy when we get there... :) _*chuckles ominously*_
> 
> ~~~  
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	14. Behold Today's Champions

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 3_

“Well well well, if it isn’t the sneaky lil’ foxes. Scoutin’ out the Hyogo representatives?” 

“Damn right, lookin’ at the potential _second_ Hyogo representative, if they even make it past semis.” Atsumu retorts, smirking as he places a hand on his hip. (Atsumu, this isn’t a modelling show-) 

A vein pops out of the middle blocker’s head as he smiles in irritation. He isn’t going to let Atsumu trash talk his school like that. “Don’t think you’re so great just ‘coz you’ve been doin’ well lately… Nakiusagi’s a powerhouse school too. Don’t get too cocky.” 

“Oh? How long’s it been since you’ve won against Inarizaki?” Atsumu questions, he smirks tauntingly at him. “Why’re you still thinkin’ ‘bout the good-old days, huh? No point bein’ an old champion if yer constantly in second place.” 

“Tch…” 

“Afterall… second place is just the first loser.” 

Suna nudges Y/N in the side and gestures towards Atsumu, mentally telling her that it’s her responsibility to get him to behave. She rolls her eyes in exasperation before sighing and heading over. 

“Atsumu… stop pickin’ fights with everyone.” She mumbles, interrupting their glaring competition as they glance at her. 

“Oh! L/N-chan! It’s so nice to see you again!” Nakiusagi’s middle blocker suddenly smiles brightly, eyes sparkling as he turns to her. “Didja watch any of my matches yesterday?? I got _heaps_ of blocks!” 

Atsumu snorts as he covers his mouth in attempts to hide his snickering, eyes darting back and forth between the two in amusement. 

“Oh, sorry I missed it, I was fillin’ up the bottles for my team. I’m sure you played well though.” Y/N smiles apologetically, he doesn’t notice her subtly side-eye Atsumu. 

He deflates a little and pouts. “Aww… that’s too bad… Be sure to watch me closely today!” 

“Ah, right.” She tilts her head to the side, keeping her apologetic smile. “Sorry but, who are you again?” 

Unable to keep his snickering to himself, Atsumu grabs the middle blocker’s shoulders and laughs right in his face. 

_“HAHAHAHA-!”_

“Pfft- I can’t believe you pretended you didn’t know who he was _again_ HAHAHA-!” Suna wheezes, slapping Ginjima’s shoulder repeatedly as he laughs hysterically. Even the twins can’t stop laughing. 

“You should've seen his _face_! So embarrasin’, I _died_.” Atsumu snorts doubling over with laughter. Y/N and Ginjima just roll their eyes at them. 

“Laughin’ in his face was uncalled for, Atsumu. I’m pretty sure that was the most embarrasin’ part.” 

“Pfft, no. I’m pretty sure I heard his heart shatter when you asked him who he was.” 

“Mmm, the sound was glorious.” Y/N smirks, high-fiving Suna as he keeps laughing. 

“I’m surrounded by terrible people…” Ginjima mumbles in despair, sighing as he facepalms. Just another day where he wishes he was a third year instead. “Was it really necessary to embarrass him like that?” 

“ _Me_?” She gasps in mock surprise, placing a hand on her heart. “ _Embarrass_ someone? I would never!” 

“Yeah! How couldja accuse her like that? She’d never!” 

“‘Tsumu, you’re the person she embarrasses the most.” 

“Don’t mind.” 

Ginjima groans loudly as he physically tries to swat away their words, he’s too tired for this. “Shouldn’t we be focusin’ on semi-finals?? Can I have a tiny break?? Please??” 

“We _are_ focusin’, you just need to see the bigger picture.” Y/N says, smiling innocently as she pats his shoulder. “Mind games start before the match begins. We’re already winnin’.” 

* * *

“They’re still winnin’ in straight sets? At this point they’ll get to Interhigh without ever droppin’ a set!” 

The Inarizaki team sits in the audience as they wait for the other semi-final match to finish. Looking at the scoreboard, they’re probably going to verse Nakiusagi in the finals again. 

Osamu munches on some onigiri he packed for the day as he watches the match with the rest of the team. Meanwhile, Atsumu watches the game intensely, analysing and criticising everything that’s happening. Y/N’s just glad there are no cameras nearby to hear his trashy commentating, that could be career ruining. 

The sound of the whistle snaps Y/N out of her thoughts as she glances back down to the game. Seems like they’re versing Nakiusagi afterall. 

“There’s gonna be a short break before finals, so you can all break off into your own groups for now. But make sure to come back before the match starts!” Coach Kurosu instructs, getting everyone’s attention. “We already won a spot at Nationals, but I don’t wanna see any of you slackin’ in the final match, got it? Let’s win the whole qualifiers in straight sets.” 

“Osamu… you’ll get sick if you eat all that before the match…” Y/N sweat-drops as she watches Osamu hoard one of every snack in the vending machine, it’s a relief that he’s rich or else he’d probably be living on the streets at this point. 

Osamu rolls his eyes as he stuffs the last of the snacks into his extra bag. “I’m not gonna eat it _now_. I’m savin’ ‘em for later, when I get hungry.” 

“Oh really? So you’re sayin’ you’re not hungry now?” 

“…I didn’t say that.” 

Facepalming, Y/N holds out her hand, gesturing for him to give her the bag. Pretending he doesn’t understand what she means, he places his hand in hers, smiling innocently at her unimpressed expression. “The bag, Osamu.” 

He rolls his eyes as he gives her the bag, huffing childishly as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. “You better give it back after…” 

“Oh I will, you can trust me.” Y/N reassures, smiling up at him. “Anyway, there’s a 100 yen per minute fee for makin’ me carry around your bag, each day your payment’s late is an extra 500 yen, so make sure to pay up quickly~” 

“Say sike right now.” 

* * *

“We’re goin’ on in fifteen minutes, go make any quick toilet breaks now if ya need.” 

Atsumu and Y/N sit next to each other as they meticulously go through some notes on Nakiusagi in her notebook, coming up with potential plays and looking for weaknesses they can exploit. Suna sweat-drops as he looks at their concentrated expressions, they’re going to win anyway, so why bother? 

“Mm… their defence and teamwork is great, I’d hafta admit, but those weak-ass attacks ain’t got nothin’ on us.” 

“Wow, so rude. No wonder why they all hate you.” 

“Pretty sure that’s not the only reason…” Osamu mumbles from behind them, yawning tiredly. He just wants to play the game and go home. 

“Matsumoto-san’s an annoyin’ blocker though.” Y/N says, ignoring Osamu as she points out Nakiusagi’s second year middle blocker from earlier. “You guys have so much beef with each other, honestly, I would’ve thought you’d have a rivalry with a setter rather than a middle blocker.” 

“Pfft, you remember who he is _now_?” Atsumu smirks, leaning back in his seat as he shrugs nonchalantly. “He’s just annoyin’. Plus, Nakiusagi’s setter’s too cheerful, it’s harder to trash talk ‘im and ruin his mood.” 

“I’m always baffled by how disgustin’ your personality is…” 

“Let’s have a good game!” 

The Inarizaki and Nakiusagi teams shake hands with each other as they begin the finals. The crowd buzzes with excitement as they wave around their fan signs, while Inarizaki’s fanbase is definitely vast in numbers, Nakiusagi has its fair share of fans. 

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

“Go! Go! Go! Go! Naki-Nakiusagi!” 

_Finals: Nakiusagi – Inarizaki Match – First Set_  
_Nakiusagi [00 – 00] Inarizaki_

“Atsumu!!!” The fans cheer, squealing in delight as they watch him prepare to serve. 

He clenches his fist, silencing the audience as he jumps. 

_BAM!_

Atsumu slams the ball with insane speed and trajectory, almost painting the line beside Nakiusagi’s ace Fujiwara. 

_Out._

_Nakiusagi [01 – 00] Inarizaki_

“Argh!! Dammit!!” Atsumu groans, yelling in frustration. 

“Lame.” 

“Shuddup!” 

The whole Inarizaki bench facepalms in exasperation. Atsumu needs to learn to control his excitement, but the serve was powerful enough to shock Nakiusagi. 

“Lucky…” Their Libero mumbles, sighing as he tries to release the tension in his muscles. They can’t play at their best if they’re too nervous and tense. 

“Let’s… go!” The Nakiusagi cheer squad yells as their Captain and Setter serves, aiming his spike serve at Atsumu. As usual, he moves out of the way as Akagi receives it flawlessly. 

“Alright!” Atsumu cheers, grinning widely as he positions to set the ball. “Aran!” 

Ojiro slams his hand down on the volleyball with amazing force, catching their receivers off-guard as it bounces off the court. 

_Nakiusagi [01 – 01] Inarizaki_

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

“Alright!” Atsumu and Ojiro yell, high fiving each other. The battle between the two powerhouse schools is just beginning. 

“Nice block, Matsumoto!!” 

_Finals: Inarizaki – Nakiusagi Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [14 – 17] Nakiusagi_

Atsumu grits his teeth in irritation as Matsumoto successfully guess-blocks his set, smirking down on him condescendingly. 

“Argh… Sorry!” Ginjima groans. 

“No, that was my bad!” Atsumu groans as well, he would have normally set to Suna, but Matsumoto’s been getting more accurate as the second set continues. He doesn’t want to admit it, but his setting is starting to get influenced by Nakiusagi’s blockers. 

“Should we sub in Kita-senpai?” Y/N questions, turning to Coach Kurosu who’s deep in thought. 

“…Not yet. We’ll see how this plays out for now. If need be, we’ll sub him in when it’s Gin’s serve.” 

“Go for it, Fujiwara!!” “Two blockers!” 

Nakiusagi’s ace jumps to spike the ball, pulling off a feint at the last second, successfully catching Inarizaki by surprise. 

“Hnng-!” Atsumu and Akagi groan as they reach for the ball, Akagi being just a little short as it falls. They should have known they’d be pulling off random feints. 

_Inarizaki [14 – 18] Nakiusagi_

“Give us another nice serve!” 

Nakiusagi’s Captain jumps for his third serve in a row, aiming near Ojiro who manages to get it up. 

_‘Send it to Suna or ‘Samu? Or should I go for Gin again?? Argh I’m overthinkin’!’_ Atsumu scrunches up his face as he jumps up to set. 

“‘Samu!” 

Matsumoto grins as he successfully reads the set-up again, jumping in front of Osamu as he positions himself to block. He pulls off a feint. 

“Huh??” Matsumoto groans as Atsumu gasps in delight. 

_Inarizaki [15 – 18] Nakiusagi_

“Nice.” Osamu and Suna high five as they move into positions for Atsumu’s serve, covering the back of their heads for good measure. 

_‘Tch… I’m annoyed but I ain’t gonna mess up…’_ Atsumu scowls, rolling his eyes at them. Taking a deep breath, Atsumu’s gaze hardens as he silences the crowd. It’s his serve. 

_BAM!_

“Fu-!” 

It bounces beside Fujiwara before he can even position himself. 

“…jiwara.” 

_Inarizaki [16 – 18] Nakiusagi_

“Nice serve! Nice serve! Atsumu! Give us another! Atsumu!” 

Serving again, Atsumu aims near Fujiwara once again, but he’s prepared this time, managing to get it up. 

“Sorry! It’s long!” 

“Chance ball!” Ginjima calls, sending it to Atsumu so he can set. 

“Suna!” 

“Argh!” Matsumoto groans as Suna spikes around his block again, successfully avoiding his block and their Libero who was positioned to receive. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 18] Nakiusagi_

“Nice kill! Rintarou! Rintarou!” 

“It’s okay.” Suna smiles. “You’re still a good blocker.” 

“Oi…” Osamu starts, glaring at Atsumu. “Don’t mess up this serve.” 

“Huh?? As if I would! Whatcha tryna say??” 

_Inarizaki [17 – 19] Nakiusagi_

_Out._

“Argh! Dammit!” Atsumu groans. “Ya jinxed me ‘Samu! This is all yer fault!” 

_‘Don’t blame Osamu for your mistakes…’_ The rest of the team deadpans, sighing in exasperation at him. They prepare for Nakiusagi’s serve. 

“Nice serve Mori-san!” 

Mori smoothly sends over a float serve, catching Akagi by surprise with its trajectory. 

“Argh!” He groans as it falls before he can get an overhand receive on it, bouncing on his chest as he tries to crouch a little lower. “Soz’! Cover!” 

“Hnng!” Atsumu reaches for the ball, managing to get it up with his left hand. “Hit it over, Suna!” 

Suna jumps up, hitting around Matsumoto’s block once again. 

“Bastard-!” Nakiusagi’s Libero dives for the ball, getting it up in the last second. “Soz’! Mokkun!” 

“Right.” Mori covers and sends the ball to Matsumoto. “Matsu, last!” 

“Okay!” Matsumoto jumps to spike the ball over, wincing when he realises that Suna’s waiting for him, watching him closely. “Hnng-!” 

In attempts to avoid his block, Matsumoto tries to hit to the side. Predicting this, Suna shifts his arms to block it. 

“Mine!” Their Libero yells, getting it up in the last second. Seems like this is another long rally. 

“Wacchan!” Their Captain calls, setting it to their Ace Fujiwara. 

“Alright!” He yells, slamming it down on the other side of the court. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 20] Nakiusagi_

“Nice kill Fujiwara-san!” “Nice Wacchan!” 

“Don’t mind, we’ll get the next one!” Ojiro cheers, clapping his hands as they move back into position for Mori’s next serve. 

Mori smoothly sends over another float serve, it’s long this time. 

“Urg!” Akagi groans, twisting a little as it bounces off his shoulder. 

“Nice one, Akagi!” Ojiro calls out, covering as he sends it to the net. “Last one’s yours, Osamu!” 

“One-touch!” Nakiusagi’s blockers call out. “Cover! Cap’n!” 

“Got it!” Nakiusagi’s Captain calls, getting the first touch. “Acchan!” 

“Right!” Their Libero calls, jumping before the attack line as he prepares to set the ball. “Cap’n!” 

Their Captain runs up to spike the ball despite having gotten the first touch. Unfortunately for Nakiusagi, Inarizaki is completely unfazed, used to having their setter pull off random and unconventional moves out of nowhere. 

The three second years in the front line quickly move into position to block his spike, taking the Captain by surprise. 

“Hnng-!” Nakiusagi’s Captain gets blocked. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 20] Nakiusagi_

“Oh boy… they read our play…!” 

“Sorry!” Their Libero apologises, groaning as he slaps his forehead. 

“No no! Don’t worry Acchan! We’ll get ‘em next time!” 

“You sure about that…? They’re subbin’ their Cap’n in…” Mori mumbles, catching their attention. 

“Huh??” 

_**Member Substitution**_  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #1 Kita Shinsuke_  
_OUT: #5 Ginjima Hitoshi_

Kita calmly steps onto the court, making the rest of his teammates freeze up in fear as they awkwardly avoid eye-contact with him. 

“Atsumu.” He starts, making him flinch. “Why’re you rushin’ your sets?”

“…I was tryna shake off the blockers and receivers since they’re startin to read my-”

“Are their blockers really gettin’ to you that badly? D’ya really think you’d accomplish anythin’ by speedin’ things up? There’s no need to overthink your sets since that’s obviously not doin’ anythin’ for you.” 

_‘EEEEEK!’_

“Pfft- look at ‘em. Quiverin’ in fear every time Kita-senpai goes on.” Y/N snickers, smirking at their scared expressions. “Weaklings.” 

“Haha, don’t say that Y/N. Shinsuke’s cold logic just terrifies ‘em.” 

“NICE SERVE!” The Inarizaki team yells, slightly rigid in fear knowing Kita’s right behind them. He aims for the gap between the Nakiusagi players. 

“Argh- Soz’ it’s short!” Mori groans, getting it up. 

“Wacchan!” Their Captain calls, setting to their Ace once again. 

_BAM!_

_‘That felt good…!’_ He thinks as it bounces off of Atsumu’s outstretched hand. Kita gracefully dives for the ball, keeping it in play. 

“Atsumu!” “Right!” 

Atsumu jumps up and tosses a quick set to Osamu, catching Nakiusagi off-guard. 

_Inarizaki [19 – 20] Nakiusagi_

“Yuss!!” The twins cheer, making the crowd go wild with excitement. 

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

Paying the crowd no mind, Kita waits for the sound of the whistle to signify his second serve, this time aiming for the edge beside Mori. 

“Tch…!” Mori moves to the side and gets a solid receive. 

“Nice receive!” Their Captain calls, jumping up to set. 

Instead he dumps the ball, taking most of Inarizaki by surprise. 

“Argh-!” Ojiro reaches behind for the ball, only for Kita to receive it and keep it in play. “Kita-!” 

“Nice!” Atsumu calls, smiling as he sets to Suna. Using his torso, he spikes around the block once again. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 20] Nakiusagi_

“Damn… they’re tied now… Inarizaki’s catchin’ up super duper fast-!” The Nakiusagi reserve players wince as they watch the match. “Is coach gonna call a timeout…?” 

“He’s definitely thinkin’ ‘bout it… that’s for sure…” 

The Nakiusagi coach remains deep in thought, unsure if he should use their final timeout now or not, he figures he’d wait a little longer to see if they can break Inarizaki’s momentum with the next point. 

“Matsu!” 

Matsumoto cringes as he tries to receive the ball, the net-in catching him off guard. “Soz’! Cover!” 

“Mokkun! Last!” Their Libero calls, barely getting it up. Mori tries to spike it, but it gets caught in the net. 

_Inarizaki [21 – 20] Nakiusagi_

_Nakiusagi Tech_  
_Second Timeout_

Nakiusagi’s coach wastes no time signalling for the timeout. They really need to break the momentum that Inarizaki’s gained with Kita joining them on the court. 

“I don’t really think I needa say much, since y’all know what needs to be done. Take this time to rest a lil’ and clear your mind. There’s no reason to panic.” He says, smiling at his team as they nod and wipe their sweat off. 

“Argh… in our whole three years of bein’ on this team, we haven’t defeated Inarizaki even _once_.” Their Libero complains, sighing as he headbutts his Captain’s shoulder. “I’m startin’ to think _we’re_ the problem.” 

“Acchan! Don’t be negative!” Their Captain scolds, bonking him on the head as they start bickering. Mori and Fujiwara just sigh. 

“You two are so immature…” They mumble, physically pulling them apart for safe measure. 

“…It’s true that our senpai’s defeated Inarizaki before we came…” Fujiwara mutters. 

“Wacchan??” 

“Let me finish.” Fujiwara rolls his eyes. “Why’re you our Cap’n again?” 

“What Fuji’s tryna say is, yes, our senpai’s beat them, but it doesn’t really matter, right? Look at Inarizaki’s banner. _‘We don’t need things like memories’_. It applies for us too. So don’t think ‘bout the past, let’s win with this team, let’s win _today_.” Mori encourages, not noticing that the first and second years are listening to his speech. 

“Mori-san…!” _‘SO COOL…!’_

“Took the words right outta my mouth.” Fujiwara grins, chest bumping Mori enthusiastically. He turns to the rest of the team and gives them thumbs up. “That banner behind us is ours for a reason, don’t forget it!” 

Once the timeout’s over, they walk back onto the court. Walking past Matsumoto as he enters the court, Atsumu smirks at him tauntingly. 

“Your team’s banner’s nice. Too bad it’ll be ours today.” 

Matsumoto grits his teeth in agitation as he tries not to get too riled up. Taking a few steady breaths, he glances behind him to look at his school’s banner. 

_‘Behold Today’s Champions’_

He can’t let these sneaky foxes get the better of his team. 

_FWEET!_ The whistle blows to signal for Kita’s third serve. He easily sends it in the gap between the players again. 

“Mine!” Mori calls getting it up in time. 

“Matsu!” Their Captain calls, jumping to set for Matsumoto. 

Ojiro and Osamu’s eyes widen in surprise after they jump for the block, being taken off guard. 

_‘Tch…’_ Suna scowls, running to the side as he jumps to block. _‘One-person-time-difference-attack…!’_ He’s just a little too late. 

“YEA-ah?” 

Kita successfully digs the ball and keeps it in play. 

“ARE YA KIDDIN’ ME?!?!” The Nakiusagi bench groans, facepalming in exasperation. Kita’s just too reliable. 

“Nice…!” Atsumu cheers swapping places with Osamu. “Super-body-and-soul-switch-time-delayed-spike!” 

He spikes down the ball that Osamu set. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 20] Nakiusagi_

“How the hell is he carefree enough to say that out-loud durin’ a match…?” Y/N deadpans, facepalming as she watches Atsumu smirk tauntingly at Nakiusagi. “If they swapped souls, then why do I still feel like beatin’ up Atsumu…?” 

Somehow knowing that she's trash talking him, Atsumu turns and glares at her. “JUST LET ME LIVE, WOMAN!” 

“…It’s scary how well you second years know each other…” Coach Oomi mumbles, rubbing his temple in attempts to soothe the headache he’s forming. 

Y/N shrugs as she turns her attention back to the court, it’s Kita’s fourth serve now. 

“Nice serve!” 

Nakiusagi’s Libero gets it this time, diving in front of their Captain as he gets it up. “Cap’n!” 

“Right!” Their Libero quickly moves out of his way to clear his path as he tosses it to Fujiwara this time. 

_‘Don’t underestimate us…!’_ He grits his teeth, spiking with amazing strength. 

“…!” The ball bounces off of Kita’s arms and out of bounds, momentarily shocking the audience with it’s loud sound. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 21] Nakiusagi_

“Go! Go! Go! Go! Naki-Nakiusagi!” 

“YEAHHH!!!” “Nice kill!” The Nakiusagi team cheers loudly as they huddle up. 

“Argh… it annoys me when my opponents are so happy! Let’s get ‘em on the next one!” Atsumu complains, making his teammates roll their eyes at his terrible personality. But silently, they agree. 

“Let’s… go!” Matsumoto serves to Atsumu in attempts to make him get the first touch, knowing he probably wouldn’t be able too break their formation much. The receivers in the back row are too good. 

“Free ball~!” Atsumu taunts, smirking as he receives it. “Get it ‘Samu!” 

“Aran!” Osamu calls, tossing to Ojiro who jumps up to spike. 

Having predicted this, the Nakiusagi blockers move up to block it. “One-touch!” 

“Argh-!” Mori keeps it into play as he dives for it, it goes over the net. “Soz’!” 

“Chance ball!” Osamu calls, before noticing that Atsumu’s jumping for a spike. _‘Tch…’_ He reluctantly sends a quick set to Atsumu. 

Purposely aiming for Matsumoto, Atsumu spikes it down on him. The ball bounces off his arms and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [23 – 21] Nakiusagi_

“Heh, even _now_ , you still suck at receives, don’tcha?” 

Matsumoto grits his teeth in annoyance, taking multiple deep breaths to try and calm himself. 

“Don’t mind, Matsu. The game ain’t over yet.” Mori encourages, patting him on the back as they prepare for Suna’s serve. 

_‘Behold Today’s Champions’_

It’s not over yet. 

“Oi Y/N, didja tell Atsumu to aim for their Middle Blocker like that?” Coach Oomi questions, knowing that it’s something she’d do. 

“Pfft, nah. Give Atsumu some credit wouldja? He’s a genius. I was thinkin’ about it earlier but… Atsumu probs thought of it wayyy before I did.” Y/N chuckles, smiling proudly at her team. She can’t help but feel happy watching them play, not that she’d ever admit it out loud. 

“Hehe~ feels nice when a strong team crumbles before you~” Atsumu cheers, smiling widely as if he didn’t say something terrible. 

_‘So trashy…’_

“Hey you, Suna.” Kita’s cold voice cuts in, making them all flinch. “Just now, I bet you were thinkin’, “we’ve practically already won this match anyway, I can give them an easy serve since I’ll just get rotated off if they end up making the point.” Right?” 

_‘Kita-san’s scarily accurate mind-reading ability still terrifies me…’_ “…Geh.” 

“You’re one of Inarizaki’s core players when it comes to attacks, if you have such an important role, make sure you live up to it and perform to the best of your abilities.” 

“Yes, Cap’n…” He mumbles, Atsumu and Osamu snicker behind him as he gets told off, glad that they’re not on the receiving end. 

“Nice serve!” 

Suna watches the referee as he waits for the exact moment the whistle tweets. 

_FWEET!_ He instantly sends it over, catching Nakiusagi off guard with his timing once again. 

_‘So annoyin’…!’_ Their Libero grits his teeth as he dives for it. “Soz’!” 

The ball goes over the net towards Osamu. He jumps up and spikes it down instantly, catching everyone off guard. 

“ARGH-!” Nakiusagi’s Captain dives for the ball as he barely keeps it in play. “Acchan!” 

“Right!” Their Libero jumps before the attack line, preparing to set. “Mokkun!” 

Mori jumps for a back attack, hitting it over as he tries to aim away from Kita, he’s too hyper-focused on him. Akagi quickly digs the ball, perfectly sending it to a good position for Atsumu. 

“Atsumu!” 

“Right!” Atsumu jumps up. 

And he dumps the ball. 

“Son of a-!” 

The ball falls on Nakiusagi’s side of the court as they attempt to dive for it, they’re too slow. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 21] Nakiusagi_  
_Set Point_

“A dump?? Now of all times???” The Nakiusagi Coach groans as he facepalms, who’s he kidding? It’s Inarizaki, he should have seen it coming. 

“Aww yeah!” Atsumu cheers, high fiving Akagi as they beam brightly. Kita chuckles at this, Atsumu always catches everyone off guard. 

“Finish it off with a service ace, Suna.” Osamu says, turning to him with a blank expression. 

“I’m not your brother.” Suna mutters, rolling his eyes as he moves back into position for his serve. 

Once again, he serves on the whistle. 

_‘I’m a step too slow-!’_ Nakiusagi’s Libero winces as he dives for the ball, it’s going over the net. 

Seeing the opportunity, Oomimi uses his height to jump up and hits the ball down on the first touch, catching Naikusagi by surprise. 

“Hnng-!” Fujiwara reaches for the ball as it drops, managing to get it up. 

“Nice one, Wacchan!” Their Captain calls, running up to set the ball. “Mokkun!” 

“Knng-!” Akagi winces, getting the powerful spike up. “Atsumu!” 

Atsumu glances at Osamu as he runs up to toss the ball, noticing this gesture, the Nakiusagi blockers start heading towards him, only for Atsumu to toss to Ojiro. 

Ojiro spikes it down with incredible force, silencing the crowd. 

_‘Behold Today’s Champions’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun _DUNNN!!!!!_
> 
> Thankyou so much for waiting patiently~ I would have finished this earlier but I'm currently in intense drawing mode XD Basically, as an artist I draw consistently throughout the year, but every few months I have this reallyyyy intense drawing mode where I draw three super big drawings :')) I'm actually really proud of the one I just completed so you can see it [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MgdCJHgFN/) if you want =w= Just imagine this to be the kind of thing Y/N draws when she should be sleeping O3O
> 
> Anyway~ Thanks for reading the chapter! If you didn't know, Hyogo gets to send 2 schools to Interhigh every year, that's why both Inarizaki and Nakiusagi can go! (Only one school gets to go to Spring Tournament though) And also, bonus Japanese High School Volleyball knowledge;  
> In Haikyuu, there are 2 prefectural tournaments (Qualifiers), and 2 National tournaments (Interhigh and Spring Tournament)  
> But in real life, there are 2 prefectural tournaments (Qualifiers), 2 Regional tournaments (in Inarizaki's case, Kansai Region), and 3 National tournaments (Interhigh, Nationals, and Spring Tournament)  
> (Yes I've researched very thoroughly)  
> I was seriously thinking about adding the 3 tournaments into this fic that Furudate didn't include in Haikyuu, but I ended up deciding not to XD It'll probably confuse a lot of people and slow down a lot of the development :')) So ya! :D 
> 
> Anywaysss~ Thanks for reading! I'm still in intensive drawing mode so I'm not sure how quickly the next few chapters will come out, but please look forward to them! OuO
> 
> ~~~  
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	15. Winners and Losers

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 3_

 _Finals: Inarizaki – Nakiusagi Match_  
_(2:0 / 25-23, 25-21)_

 **Winners: Inarizaki High School**

The fall of the volleyball echoes through the gymnasium, momentarily silencing the crowd as they hold their breaths in awe. It’s over. 

_‘We won…’_

“ALRIGHT!” Atsumu and Ojiro cheer, pumping their fists in the air as the crowd goes wild. Grinning, Osamu high fives Suna, who smiles slightly at his enthusiasm, fist pumping silently, Kita and Oomimi smile proudly at their victory. 

“YEAH!!” Akagi and Ginjima cheer, running onto the court and pulling them all into a group hug. Atsumu laughs at Suna’s discomfort for human contact. 

Y/N rolls her eyes as she chuckles at their antics. They won. 

Nakiusagi’s Captain sighs tiredly as he tries to catch his breath, exhausted from the match. It’s finally over. 

“Acchan…” He mumbles, giving a tight smile as he lends him a hand, pulling him up off the ground as they turn to their teammates. Clapping his hands together, Mori gives his teammates supportive nods, not saying anything as he gestures towards the crowd. 

“Thank you for your support!” They bow their heads, and with a heavy heart, they shake the hands of their opponents, the winners, and leave the court. 

They lost. 

Again. 

“Y/N, can you go get Atsumu? I think he’s still gettin’ interviewed, or he’s bein’ stopped by fans or somethin’. We need to go soon.” 

“Yeah, I’ll go get him.” Y/N smiles, walking swiftly through the corridors as she tries to look for him, it shouldn’t be too hard to find the most obnoxious person in the area. A few people jolt in shock when they see her passing by, quickly moving out of her way. Her blank face and maroon jacket combination’s a little too intimidating. 

Y/N halts in her steps as she hears some sniffling, she knows she should walk away, it’s not her place to intrude. But her curiosity gets the better of her, and she peeks around the corner, deflating a little at what she sees. 

Matsumoto’s hugging his legs tightly as he buries his head into his arms. 

_‘I shouldn’t bother him…’_

Somehow sensing her presence, he lifts his head and makes eye contact with her. She smiles sadly in response as she walks over and sits beside him, watching as he hastily tries to wipe away his tears. 

Taking out a pack of tissues, she wordlessly offers them to him, smiling encouragingly as he takes them and murmurs a small thanks. 

“…Congratulations…” He begins, chuckling dryly as he vaguely glances in her direction. “Your team played well…” 

“Thank you.” She replies simply, should she pat him on the back? Or would that be overstepping her boundaries? “Your team played well as well.” 

“Thanks…” 

They fall into an awkward silence as they sit around, acutely aware of each other’s presence. Knowing she needs to find Atsumu soon, Y/N quietly stands up and glances back at Matsumoto, smiling softly at him. 

“You’re an amazing blocker, Matsumoto-san. I’ll see you at Interhigh.” 

His eyes widen in surprise as he stares dumbly at her, she waves him goodbye as she turns back around the corner. 

Y/N flinches in shock when she sees Atsumu leaning on the wall, waiting for her. He smirks at her shock and nods his head towards the exit, she pouts as they silently make their way out. 

“Encouragin’ the enemy, huh?” He questions lightly. 

“Again with the whole enemy thing.” She rolls her eyes. “I was just saying things as they are.” 

“Hm, that’s true~” He hums. “Ya didn’t say much else though.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes again as she tries to quicken her steps to keep up with him. 

“…There’s nothin’ a winner can say, to a loser that gave it his all.” 

* * *

Eating out with the team is always a joyous (and chaotic) event. Y/N facepalms as she watches Atsumu try to steal some of Osamu and Ojiro’s food _again_. He never learns. 

Kita, Oomimi and Suna eat quietly in their seats, their impeccable manners becoming more apparent in comparison to the boisterous and rowdy boys around them. As Akagi laughs loudly at the twins and Ojiro, Ginjima yells at them to shut up (he’s the loudest though). Y/N shrinks further and further into her seat, trying to hide her face from everyone. 

_‘I do not know these people…’_

“Everyone, please behave.” Kita’s voice makes everyone freeze and scramble to try make themselves appear more orderly, sweating slightly in fear as they pretend as if they were quiet before. 

“Thank goodness we have Shinsuke…” Coach Kurosu mumbles, sighing tiredly at the disastrous boys around him. At least Kita can keep them in order. 

“Didja hear the nicknames the Nakiusagi thirds years had for each other?” Atsumu questions with his mouth full, getting looks of disgust from Ginjima and Y/N. Osamu’s too busy eating to notice his indecency. 

“Yes, we noticed. Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Ginjima scolds, handing him a serviette so he can wipe his mouth later. 

“They’re cute, right?” Atsumu asks, finally swallowing his food and wiping his mouth. “What were they again? ‘Acchan’ right? That’s what they called the Libero?” 

“Yeah, and ‘Mokkun’ and ‘Wacchan’ I think?” Y/N asks, turning to Suna for confirmation. He just shrugs in response. 

“If you’re looking for someone that was paying attention, you’re looking at the wrong guy.” 

“Point is, what if we got nicknames for each other?” Atsumu asks, eyes shining brightly. “I mean, we already got ‘Samu, and ‘Samu calls me ‘Tsumu, so you guys can call us that?” 

“‘Samu sounds fine, but ‘Tsumu sounds stupid.” Y/N deadpans, Ginjima and Suna nodding in agreement, much to Atsumu’s dismay. 

“Huh?? No it sounds super cool!” 

“It doesn’t.” Ojiro pipes in, sighing at the second year’s loud conversation. Kagawa giggles at their antics, rolling her eyes as she turns back to her conversation with Inoue. 

“If you guys don’t like it, what kinda nicknames would you give me then?” He asks, looking at them expectantly. 

Ginjima makes eye contact with Suna and Y/N before shrugging. “I don’t know? I mean, for you, ‘Acchan’ could work as well.” 

“Yeah that’s true, or ‘Atsu’?” Suna asks, not really caring. 

“Hmm…” Y/N thinks, the three of them look at her expectantly. “Or… Umu-chan?” 

“Pfft-!” Osamu snorts, nearly choking on his food as Ginjima pats his back. “That’s a good one, nice to meetcha Umu-chan.” 

“Hey Umu-chan.” “Wassup, Umu-chan.” 

“Stop it stop it stop it!” Atsumu groans, trying to physically swat their words away. “You guys can stop now argh! No! Never!” 

“Hey, you’re the one that asked.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Don’t ask if you’re not prepared for the consequences.” 

“Argh whatever…” He groans. “What ‘bout you guys hm? Obviously we could call you N/N, and we already shorten Gin’s name. What ‘bout Suna?” 

“What about me?” 

“Well? Nickname ideas for Suna?” 

“Suna’s already short though… If we’re lookin’ for nicknames we’ll have to use his first name.” Ginjima mutters. 

“Rin? Or Rin-rin?” Y/N asks boredly. 

“Ew. Those sound gross.” Suna mumbles in disgust. 

“Yeah they do, that’s why I _love_ them! Let’s call him Rin-rin from now on!” Atsumu cheers, making everyone sigh. 

“If we’re gonna call him Rin-rin, we’re gonna call you Umu-chan.” 

“A fair trade.” Suna agrees, pretending to sign a serviette as he passes it to Atsumu. 

“…Y’know what? Maybe we shouldn’t do the whole nicknames thing.” 

_‘Coward.’_

“D’ya wanna head over to me and ‘Samu’s house N/N?” Atsumu questions as they leave the restaurant. “Suna and Gin are comin’ too!” 

Y/N smiles lightly at them, wishing she could go. “I wanna but… you guys know how my parents are…” 

Atsumu huffs as he rolls his eyes. “Yer parents need to learn to loosen up, N/N. They can’t keep holdin’ ya back! What if you come but don’t tell ‘em??” 

“Then you’ll all be invited to my funeral.” She deadpans, sighing in defeat. “I’ll be headin’ home now, hope you guys have fun.” 

“Ohh! We’ll take ya home!” Atsumu exclaims, causing everyone to roll their eyes. 

“Atsumu, she needs to take the bus, she’s not walkin’.” Ginjima says, sighing tiredly as Suna pats his back in encouragement. 

“Oh yeah… well, we can still go, we don’t want her to be lonely?” 

“Why would she be lonely? We take the same bus.” Akagi pipes in from behind them, startling Atsumu with his sudden appearance. 

“Oh yeah, I forgot ‘bout that.” 

“Idiot.” Osamu and Suna mumble in unison, dead eyes boring into Atsumu’s soul. Somehow finding something amusing, Y/N starts laughing, startling them as they look at her questioningly. Maybe it’s the adrenaline from winning Qualifiers, or maybe it’s because she just ate, but for some reason, she feels happy. 

“Why’re you laughin…?” 

Y/N smiles brightly as she pulls them into a group hug, Akagi fumbles a little as he takes his phone out to take a picture of them. 

“I love you guys.” 

The boys awkwardly glance at each other, not really knowing what to say. They stiffly return the hug. Sensing their disbelief, Y/N raises her eyebrow at them. “What?” 

“…You have a twisted way of showin’ affection.” Osamu mumbles, instantly regretting it when she knees his leg. “That’s what ‘Tsumu was thinkin’! I was just readin’ his mind.” 

“Huh?? Don’t try to blame me ‘Samu!” 

“Those were Atsumu’s thoughts, I can read his mind as well.” Suna confirms. 

“Why are we still awkwardly huggin’?” Ginjima sweat drops. The other three boys suddenly jolt away, blushing as they look around the street casually as if nothing happened. 

“A-anyway, we needa get home.” Atsumu stutters. “Later N/N, betcha wish you could come haha lamee!” 

“I do.” She deadpans. 

“Yeah I know right, betcha wish you were invited too haha lameee!” He jeers as he walks backwards towards his house, Osamu rolls his eyes and starts dragging him along. 

“I _was_ invited.” 

“HAHA LAME-ACK! STOP HITTIN’ ME ‘SAMU!” 

Y/N sweat drops as they slowly walk out of sight, hopefully the twins can get home before they kill each other. She sighs in exasperation before turning to Akagi with completely dead and unimpressed eyes. He won’t stop snickering. 

“Akagi-senpai. Stop laughin’.” 

* * *

Y/N smirks down on Atsumu, who pouts from his spot on the floor. 

“What month is it?” She prompts. 

“…July.” He mumbles, glaring at Osamu and Ginjima who smirk at him from behind her. 

“Yes, it’s July. And what do we have in July?” She questions, smirking at Suna who’s also on the floor, scowling at her. 

“…Exams.” 

Y/N lets out an overdramatic gasp, as she turns to Osamu and Ginjima. “ _Exams_! Oh gosh! What are those?” 

“It’s a mystery, never heard of ‘em.” Osamu plays along, pretending to be in shock. 

“I hear that it’s this thing… that you needa, get this, _study_ for.” Ginjima whispers, glancing around for dramatic effect, as if they were discussing something scandalous. Osamu and Y/N gasp in horror as they back away from Ginjima, who nods solemnly. 

“You needa stu- you needa stud- Argh I can’t say it!” Y/N groans, pretending to collapse as Osamu catches her. 

“Don’t die N/N-! We needa get through this! We can st- stu-!” 

They immediately drop the act and turn to Atsumu and Suna with completely dead and unimpressed eyes. “ _Study_.” 

Pretending he can’t hear them, Atsumu turns to Suna and smiles. “D’ya hear somethin’? I thought I heard some losers-aCK!” 

“You brought that on yourself.” Suna mumbles, sighing tiredly as he watches Osamu pick up the book he just threw at Atsumu, dusting it off as if it’s dirty and infected now. 

“Argh… I get it! We got exams! I needa study! I get it!” Atsumu whines. “But didja needa be all dramatic ‘bout it? Huh??” 

“We’re informing you _clearly_ before Kita-senpai comes to lecture you.” Y/N deadpans, rolling her eyes as she sits back down in her seat. 

“Ungrateful bastard.” Osamu mumbles as he points at Atsumu, taking a seat beside Y/N. 

“I’m… glad?” Atsumu mutters, not really knowing how to respond. 

“Good, because we prepared a speech and interpretative dance for you to perform to the whole club if you happen to fail anything.” Y/N smirks, leaning back in her seat as she looks at them. 

“It was their idea, not mine. I had nothin’ to do with it.” Ginjima pipes in. 

“…Hypothetically speaking.” Suna starts. “If, for some unknown reason, Atsumu somehow gets sabotaged and fails an exam. Then _hypothetically_ , he’ll have to perform both the speech and dance, and I can film it?” 

The three responsible non-failures facepalm. “You two are a pair, one of you fail, the other fails too. You’ll have to perform together.” 

“Well there go my plans.” 

* * *

Y/N crosses her arms as she continues to supervise the two borderline-passing boys taking practise quizzes. She should have gotten Ginjima to do this or something. She lets out a loud sigh, making Atsumu glare at her in irritation. Smirking at this, she lets out another loud sigh, proceeding to sigh every 10 seconds exactly for the whole quiz, Suna figured this was a good way to keep track of the time without having to watch the clock. 

Once she finishes marking their quizzes, they look at her expectantly. 

“…Well, you guys didn’t fail.” 

“Alright!” Atsumu cheers. “That’s enough for me!” 

“Oh really? If you’re proud of it, you should show Kita-senpai.” 

“Haha… proud’s a little _too_ strong, don’tcha think?” He chuckles uneasily, straightening up under her cold gaze. It’s moments like these when he thinks she’s too much like Kita. 

Sighing as she drops the act, Y/N passes their papers to them, sighing tiredly as she runs her hands through her hair. “You guys are improvin’ at least, so that’s good. I don’t really think you guys are gonna fail anyways but… don’t slack off.” 

“Pfft-! N/N, when have we ever-” 

“It’d be in your best interest to not finish that sentence.” 

“…” 

Studying outside on the school picnic tables with Osamu is (quite literally) a breath of fresh air, Ginjima’s currently on ‘borderline-fail’ duty while Y/N’s free for the first time in ages. Too bad freedom doesn’t last long. 

“Hitoshi, this is the third time you’ve called me in the past 20 minutes.” Y/N deadpans, glaring at the air in front of her, they’d usually have volleyball practise now, but Coach Kurosu’s giving them the day off to focus on studies. 

_“I know and I’m sorry. But how the hell do you stand 'em?? I think I’m goin’ insane!”_

“The secret is; I’m already insane.” 

_“What.”_

“Hush child, I’m talkin’. Point is, Osamu and I hafta deal with them wayyy more than you do. So it’s only fair that you’re dealin’ with ‘em now. Anyway, I’ll be ignorin’ your phone calls from now on. Have fun~!” 

_“WAIT-!”_

Y/N hangs up on him and puts her phone back on the table, humming to a non-existent tune as Osamu chuckles. 

“Harsh.” 

“That’s how you survive in life, Osamu.” She mutters, sighing as she opens her textbook for the fourth time, before closing it and turning to look at her phone again. 

Having enough of her procrastinating, Osamu sighs as he closes his textbook. “How many times are you gonna open and close your textbook before you finally realise we’re not actually gonna get any studyin’ done?” 

“…Maybe a few more times.” She mutters, reaching to open it again but her hand’s intercepted by Osamu’s who’s staring at her, completely unimpressed. 

“Face it, you’re not in the mood to study and neither am I. We’re nowhere _near_ failin’ so it doesn’t matter if we take a break.” He mutters. 

“…Are you suggestin’ what I think you’re suggestin’…?” 

“Ice-cream?” 

“Y’got me.” She smiles as he chuckles in response, they quickly pack their bags and leave school grounds, heading to an ice-cream store nearby. 

“They’re not gonna be happy…” She mumbles, feeling _slightly_ guilty that they’re having fun while the other three are still studying at school. Osamu just shrugs in response. 

“Feelin’ guilty?” 

“Kinda.” 

Rolling his eyes, Osamu takes out his wallet as they approach the store. “I’ll buy ice-cream for ya then. So you can feel double guilty, two negatives make a positive, right?” 

“Osamu, it doesn’t work like that.” She deadpans. “And you’re not payin’ for me.” 

“If ya don’t let me pay, I’ll mail a bag of cash to yer house. Try explainin’ _that_ to your parents.” 

“…I’m almost tempted to make you send the bag, their faces would be _priceless_.” She snickers, smirking at her imagination. 

“So you _do_ want me to send it? I’ll make sure it’s enough for your funeral.” 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll take the ice-cream.” 

“That’s what I thought.” 

_“WHADDYA MEAN YOU TWO WENT TO GET ICE-CREAM!?!!?”_ Atsumu’s voice screeches from Osamu’s phone. It’s not even on speaker but everyone can hear him loud and clear. _“STAY RIGHT THERE! WE’RE COMIN’ YER WAY!”_

“Oop, guess that’s our cue to run, N/N.” 

“Agreed.” 

* * *

Y/N pouts as she stares longingly at her computer, wishing she could draw. She dramatically strokes her digital tablet and wipes away non-existent tears. It’s after midnight, and usually she’d be drawing right now. Usually. 

But exams are tomorrow, and she doesn’t want to be sleep-deprived. 

Letting out a loud sigh, she proceeds to lie on the floor in attempts to pass away, the withdrawal symptoms coming strong. 

_‘I… just wanna… draw…!’_

_Buzz. Buzz._

Y/N groans as she rolls over. Who has the audacity to message her now?? 

Turning her phone on, she immediately bolts upright once she sees who the sender is, needing to pause for a few moments when the sudden movement makes her dizzy. Shakily, she opens the message. 

_‘Dear Y/N,_  
_Michinari has informed me of your sleeping habits and I worry for your health. Please sleep well, eat well, and take care of yourself. Exams are tomorrow and I hope that your efforts through the course of the term serve you well._

_Kita.’_

“Hnng-!” Y/N clenches her heart as she reads the message, knowing Kita, he’s probably already asleep as per his routine, this is most likely a scheduled message. 

_‘Kita-senpai… I’m so touched!’_ She scrunches her face as she staggers back, leaning onto the wall for support. _‘Wall-chan… you provide me physical support, but Kita-senpai provides me emotional support-!’_

Y/N instantly hops into bed and turns off her phone. She’d never want to disappoint Kita. 

* * *

Atsumu throws the doors open as he strides in, smirking widely as he sits down with exaggerated movements. 

"Guess who passed all his exams~!" He wriggles his eyebrows as he glances at everyone excitedly. 

"Literally everyone in this room." Y/N deadpans, turning back to Suna's phone as they continue watching a video. 

“Congrats for not being a failure.” Suna half-heartedly cheers, eyes glued to his screen. 

“Wow, rude. I expected a round of applause or somethin’.” He mutters sarcastically. 

Glancing up from the screen, Y/N and Suna make eye-contact as she takes out her phone and plays an applause soundtrack. They stare at Atsumu, completely unimpressed. 

“Y’know what? Nevermind.” 

“Congrats on passin’, Atsumu.” Ginjima rolls his eyes, taking pity on him. “We’re glad you passed. 

“We are?” Osamu, Suna and Y/N question in unison. 

“Yes. We are.” Ginjima sighs. 

“I came here to have a good time… and I’m feelin’ so attacked right now…” Atsumu mutters, starting to feel dejected. 

“Welcome to the club, that’s how we feel.” 

“Hm? Why’s that?” 

“Don’t you get it, Atsumu?” Y/N sighs. “Since you passed, you’re allowed to go to the Summer Trainin’ Camp… Argh I can’t believe I have to live in the same place as you for a whole _week_.” 

Atsumu groans in exasperation. “That’s what’s got you guys so bummed out?? Y’guys are so mean!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was dotpointing the events in Interhigh, and omg... I'm actual so excited XD there are so many things happening... It's coming really soon and I can't wait XD
> 
> I'm still in intense drawing mode and drew [this](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ZjS5_ndlA/) =w= I'm pretty proud of it and I worked really hard so ya! :D
> 
> Anyway~ We're finally getting to the parts that I've been wanting to write since before I started this fic OuO I'm legit so excited for every chapter that's coming omg XD I can't wait to share everything with you guys! Thanks for reading! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	16. Summer

It’s officially Summer holidays. Y/N has the weekend off before going on a Summer Training Camp with the rest of the Inarizaki team in Kyushu, and straight after that, it’s Interhigh. 

Scowling at her phone, Y/N pouts as she looks through the pictures Atsumu’s sending her, hugging her pillow tightly to try placate her jealousy. 

The four bastards are hanging out without her. 

It’s not their fault since they _did_ invite her, but being mad at them is strangely therapeutic. She keeps pouting as she angrily scrolls through the endless picture’s he’s sending to the group chat. They’re at the arcade. 

Suna, thinking he’s hilarious, keeps editing the pictures by drawing on stick figures, circling them and writing _‘This could be you but you playing’_. 

“Y/N? Don’t you wanna spend time with your family?” Her mother asks as she enters her room, eyeing her self-drawn posters in distaste. 

“Uh, yeah…” She mumbles, stuffing her phone in her pocket as she shuffles out. The constant vibrating annoys her but at the same time, it’s strangely comforting. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

Nah it’s annoying, she quickly takes it back out and mutes it. She can check her messages later. 

Looking around the room, Y/N finds her father and sister reading as they sit at the table, her brothers are nowhere in sight. 

“Um… where are they boys?” 

“Hm? They’re both at their friend’s houses, they’ll come home later.” Her mother answers, taking a seat at the table as she checks her phone. 

“Oh… Then, why can’t I go out with my friends?” 

Her father rolls his eyes as he puts his papers down. “What? Do you not want to spend time with your family? You’re gonna spend the next two weeks with your friends anyway, for camp and the competition, right? So I don’t know why you’re complainin’.” 

“Was just askin’…” She mumbles, sitting down at the table. At least she’ll be free in two days. 

* * *

“N/N… is that you…? It’s been years…!” 

“Atsumu, it’s been two days.” 

“It’s been too long…!” Atsumu and Suna stagger towards her like grandmas, shakily pulling her into a long and awkward hug as they pat her back solemnly. “Look at you… you’ve grown…!” 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N pushes them away and glares at them. “You guys are so weird. Y’don’t needa rub it in my face that I-” 

Y/N’s quickly cut off when one of them shoves something red and fluffy in her face, quickly grabbing it, she looks down at it. They got her a fox plushie. 

“We won it at the arcade, thought you might want it.” Ginjima explains, smiling as they watch her squish it a few times. 

“…Thanks guys.” 

_“We will be landing in Miyazaki Airport shortly, please ensure that your seat belt is securely fastened as we begin our descent.”_

Y/N continues hugging her fox plushie tightly as she turns over to look at Atsumu, who’s sleeping beside her. She rolls her eyes as she nudges him awake. 

“If you’re gonna fall asleep, then what’s the point of havin’ the window seat?” 

He slowly opens one eye as he looks at her. “Havin’ the things people want is- aCK! Okay I’m awake! Stop hittin’ me!” 

“Yer disturbin’ the passengers, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu mutters, kicking the back of his chair. 

“Oi stop fightin’!” Ginjima hisses, glancing at Kita to make sure he’s not watching them. Thankfully, he isn’t. 

“Just a regular, peaceful day.” Suna mumbles, they’re finally in the Miyazaki prefecture, Kyushu. He sighs to himself, mentally preparing himself for the week’s long and gruelling training. 

“It’s so hottt.” Y/N whines flopping onto Atsumu’s bed as the boys continue unpacking their things. Osamu won the top bunk again. 

“I get it.” Atsumu sighs. “It’s always hot when I’m ‘round.” 

“…” 

Everyone ignores him as they continue doing whatever they’re doing, making him pout. Just as he’s about the complain, Kagawa knocks on the door and comes in. 

“L/N-chan? Don’tcha needa unpack too?” 

“Oh yeah…” Y/N mutters, grabbing Atsumu’s pillow as she rolls off his bed and starts to leave. 

“Oi, that’s mine-!” 

Y/N smacks the pillow on his face as she quickly leaves. “That was Osamu!” She calls as she skips over to her room, smiling innocently as Kagawa sighs and facepalms at her antics. Kagawa’s going to have to deal with this for the whole week. 

Unpacking her art supplies, Y/N smiles as she freely sets them down on her bed, it’ll be terrible for her posture, but she doesn’t want to hog the table. 

“Have you ever been to Kyushu, Chika-chan?” Kagawa asks, smiling as she turns to the first year. 

“Yes, I have! I haven’t been to the Miyazaki prefecture though, so this is a first!” She cheerfully exclaims, taking out some sketch books and laying them down on her bed. 

“Oh? Inoue-chan, I didn’t know you drew.” Y/N says. 

“Hm? Oh yeah I do! I must’ve forgotten to tell you, L/N-senpai!” 

“Ah, yeah…” 

Kagawa smiles as she sits down on her bed. “Chika-chan draws a lot in her free time, probably not as seriously as you, but she sure does draw a lot.” 

“Eh? L/N-senpai draws too?” Inoue asks, eyes sparkling in excitement. “That’s so cool! I had no idea!” 

“Haha~ Yeah, L/N-chan tends to keep to herself, she’s not really the kind to open up and share.” 

“I guess that’s true…” Y/N mumbles sheepishly, crawling into her bed so she can do her own thing. It never really dawned on her just how little she knew about Kagawa and Inoue, it’s probably her fault for constantly disappearing during any kind of social interaction though. But since when did they get close enough for Kagawa to call Inoue by her first name? 

The other two managers continue to chat and joke with each other while Y/N keeps her head down and continues doing her own thing. She doesn’t notice Kagawa glance at her every now and then, wanting to include her. 

But despite spending so much time together, Y/N and Kagawa aren’t close. 

* * *

“WHO DREW A MOUSTACHE ON MY FACE?!” 

Atsumu’s early morning screeches startle Y/N awake as she groans. It’s way too early for this. Rubbing her eyes as she looks around the room, it seems like Kagawa and Inoue are already awake, currently in the midst of preparing for the day. Y/N rolls onto her side and closes her eyes again, but her sleep is rudely interrupted once again. 

“I KNOW IT’S ONE OF YOU! WHO WAS IT?! WAS IT YOU ‘SAMU!??!” 

A series of loud crashes and bangs are heard, making Inoue jump in fear as the twins fight in their room next door. 

“Can you two shut up? Some people are trying to sleep.” 

“WAS IT YOU SUNA??” 

“I said, shut the _F*CK_ UP-!” 

“Oh sh*t.” Kagawa mumbles, sighing as she facepalms. She pats Inoue’s shoulder encouragingly as more crashes are heard from their room. “Just ignore that, Chika-chan, that’s just L/N-chan’s personal early mornin’ wake up call.” 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N turns to Kagawa as she pouts. “As if this commotion is enough to make me get outta bed-” 

“N/N!” Atsumu slams open the door as he barges in. “WAS IT- Oh oops.” 

Y/N angrily throws her fox plushie at his head as she glares at him. “You better have a good reason for wakin’ me up, peasant.” 

Sheepishly cradling the plushie in his arms as he rocks from side-to-side, Atsumu does his best to smile innocently. “Someone drew a moustache on my face… I just wanna know who it was…” 

“Oh really? Your face looks the same though.” 

Kagawa snorts as Atsumu gasps dramatically. “How couldja N/N?? After everythin’ we’ve been through??” 

“After everythin’ we’ve been through, you should be glad that I haven’t _murdered_ you yet. Now get out so I can get ready.” 

“So, you found the culprit yet?” Y/N asks casually as she sits in front of Atsumu, putting her tray of food down on the table as she starts eating. 

“Argh… Nope, no one’s ownin’ up to it.” He groans, chewing his rice angrily as he scowls at the table. 

“Figures, no one’s gonna snitch on their own crime, Atsumu.” Ginjima sighs as he sits down next to him, Suna and Osamu also take a seat at the table, purposely sitting as far away from Atsumu as possible. They’re still mad at him for waking them up. 

“Well, just be glad it’s not permanent. I would have definitely used permanent marker if I did it.” Y/N says, shrugging in disinterest as she keeps eating. 

“Argh that’s the thing… You, ‘Samu and Suna would have definitely used permanent marker, plus you three were still sleepin’ at the time. Gin’s wayyy too responsible to even think of such a prank so that leaves him out too…” 

_‘Is he though?’_ Y/N mentally deadpans, side eyeing Ginjima as he subtly smirks. _‘Should’ve known…’_

“So it was probably someone else?” Y/N asks. 

“Yeah exactly… I don’t know who though…” 

“Hmm…” She thinks, glancing around the room to access the possible suspects. In all honesty, with a team filled with foxes, the culprit could literally be anyone. 

“Aren’tcha tired of this, Atsumu?” Ginjima sweat drops. “You already washed it off anyway, does it matter?” 

“I know right?” Y/N mumbles. “They were even nice enough to draw it in your natural hair colour, instead of that _disgustin’_ dirt yellow on your head.” 

Atsumu gasps as he quickly runs his hands through his hair. “You think it’s disgustin’??” 

“Yes.” Everyone at the table deadpans, even Osamu and Suna as they stare at him, dead eyes boring into his soul. 

He gasps dramatically once again, quickly grabbing Kagawa’s arm as she walks past. “Ginko-chan! D’ya think my hair’s disgustin’??” 

Raising her eyebrow at him, Kagawa stares at his hair for a few moments. “…D’ya want the truth or d’ya wanna feel better?” 

“…” Atsumu narrows his eyes at her as he lets go over her arm. “…Was it you? Were you the one that drew that moustache on my face?” 

They all groan as they facepalm, why can’t he just get over it? 

“Believe me, Atsumu-kun, I would’ve drawn more than a moustache. Probably would’ve given you eyeliner to match Suna-kun’s.” Kagawa drones in a monotone. “Now please excuse me, I’m hungry and I need to eat before I do somethin’ I’ll regret.” 

“Argh!” Atsumu groans, banging his head on the table for dramatic effect as he continues sulking. Exchanging eye contact with Ginjima, Y/N kicks Atsumu’s feet from under the table, making him scowl as he looks up. “What??” 

“Why don’tcha just get over it? Or are you gonna sulk all through practise today?” 

“I don’t sulk.” He pouts. “And even if I did, why d’ya want me to get over it so badly, hm? D’ya know who it was? You just hidin’ ‘em from me?” 

“Yep.” 

“What? Who??” Atsumu questions, eyes burning with intensity that’s usually reserved for volleyball. 

“Kita-senpai.” She answers with a completely straight face, ignoring the boys around her as they snort. Atsumu looks completely unimpressed. 

“Very funny. Who was it really?” 

“You don’t believe me? Can you prove it wasn’t Kita-senpai?” She fires back, still maintaining a neutral face. 

“…I mean… not really-” 

“Why don’tcha ask him then?” She asks, smiling innocently. “Just ask him and you can prove it wasn’t him.” 

“…Y’know what? Forget it.” Atsumu mutters, sulking as he turns back to his breakfast. Y/N quietly high fives Ginjima from under the table. 

* * *

Suna mutters a thanks as Y/N hands him his towel, wiping his sweat off as they watch Atsumu continue to practise his float serves. Doesn’t he ever get tired from practising? 

“I swear, that boy’s gonna get sick or injured one day.” Y/N deadpans, sighing in defeat. Usually she’d be the one in charge of forcing him to take a break, but she thinks the extra practise for today wouldn’t hurt. 

“Couldn’t be me.” Suna mutters, turning away to check his phone. 

Atsumu groans as Akagi successfully gets it back up. Running his hands through his hair in exasperation. 

“It’s gettin’ better!” Akagi encourages, giving him thumbs up. “You just needa work on the angle and aim, but that one was definitely harder to get than the last one!” 

Atsumu nods as he takes a deep breath, sending another float serve his way. 

“‘Tsumu’s really workin’ hard.” Osamu mutters, walking up towards Y/N as she continues watching his practise. 

“I know right, aren’t you gonna practise your serves too? You’re usually competin’ with Atsumu on this kinda thing.” 

Osamu just shrugs as they continue watching. “Guess the flame just burns a bit brighter in him than in me, y’know?” 

“…I guess that’s true.” Y/N mutters, looking at him curiously. 

“Dude take a break, if not for your sake, then do it for Akagi-senpai.” Y/N mutters, throwing a towel at Atsumu’s face, heading over to Akagi and handing him a towel as well. 

“Argh! But I needa get my float serves better before next week!” He whines childishly. “I wanna show those Tokyo jerks-!” 

“What an honourable reason.” Y/N drones sarcastically, walking back over to him and slapping a water bottle on his face. “Now take a break before Kita-senpai comes and scolds you.” 

“Whatever…” He mutters, chugging his water as he walks off the court. Y/N rolls her eyes as she follows him outside. 

“Are you upset or something?” She asks, sitting down next to him on the grass. 

“…No.” 

“I’m thoroughly convinced.” She mutters sarcastically, moving slightly over to sit in the shade, not wanting to be directly under the Summer sun. 

“I’m serious, N/N, I ain’t upset.” He rolls his eyes. “Just frustrated ‘coz they ain’t perfect yet.” 

“But you’re gettin’ there, so it’s gonna be all good. I bet you’re gonna win Best Server at Interhigh.” 

“Duh, who else?” 

“…You’re also gonna win the Biggest Jerk award.” She mutters, nudging him slightly with her foot. 

“A win is a win~!” He chimes, smiling carefreely as he starts humming to himself. “By the way, aren’tcha meant to be helpin’ Ginko-chan and Chika-chan prepare for lunch?” 

“…I cannot hear.” 

“Oi! Go help ‘em!” 

“I cannot hear.” 

“L/N-CHAN?! ARE YOU GONNA HELP US OR NOT??” 

“I’m comin’!” 

“You’re so responsible.” Atsumu mutters sarcastically. 

“Double check your food when you eat, it would be an _absolute shame_ if it were poisoned~!” 

* * *

Y/N hurriedly slips her sneakers on as she runs out the door, not wanting to keep Kagawa and Inoue waiting too long. 

“Sorry I took so long! I’m here now!” 

“Haha it’s fine, you didn’t needa run y’know.” Kagawa laughs, patting her back as she pants slightly. “Besides, Coach Oomi’s comin’ with us, so you’re technically not even keepin’ us waitin’.” 

“…That would have been helpful to know before I started runnin’.” Y/N mumbles, sighing as she readjusts her bag. 

“It’s your fault for being unfit and lazy.” Suna mumbles, walking up to them with Coach Oomi. 

“That’s rich comin’ from you, Rintarou.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Why’re you here anyway?” 

“Suna’s comin’ with us ‘coz he’s always slackin’.” Coach Oomi sighs. “He’s always tryna look for shortcuts whenever we’re out runnin’, or tryna get early breaks. He might as well help us while everyone else’s on break.” 

“It’s your fault for bein’ unfit and lazy!” Y/N mocks in a high-pitched tone, making the others snicker as Suna rolls his eyes. 

“Alright girls, let’s go to the convenience store, we don’t wanna make the others wait for too long.” Coach Oomi calls as they all follow him. 

“Rintarou, put that down. You don’t need it.” 

“But why? Can’t I get some since I’m being nice and helping you guys?” 

“Aren’t you helpin’ us as a punishment for bein’ lazy?” Y/N deadpans. “I think gettin’ you Chuupet (jelly fruit sticks) would defeat the purpose.” 

“Wow, rude. I come all the way here just to help you, and you don’t even thank me?” Suna mutters, turning around and walking to another aisle. “Kagawa-san, can I get these?” 

“No.” 

“Inoue, can I get these?” 

“H-huh?” Inoue stutters as she uneasily looks at Kagawa for support. “U-um… maybe you should ask Coach Oomi…?” 

“You are so wise. Thank you for your wisdom.” Suna nods, walking over to Coach Oomi. “Coach, can I get these?” 

Coach Oomi sighs as he turns to Suna, staring at the Chuupet with a blank face. “…I have no complaints if you get enough for the rest of the team.” 

“Coach! How could you??” Y/N and Kagawa groan in unison, facepalming as Suna smirks at them. 

“You heard the man, we’re buying the Chuupet~” He says as he places a few packets into Y/N's basket. 

“Oh no, it’s too heavy now!” Y/N exclaims with a neutral face, pretending to stumble. “It’s too heavy for me, Rintarou. Here, you can carry it.” 

She shoves the basket into his hands and smiles innocently at him, patting his back as he scowls at her. Suna grumbles under his breath as he readjusts the basket in his hands, sighing as he runs a hand through his hair. 

“…I’ll only hold it since it’s for you.” 

“Awwww look at you bein’ disgustingly affectionate!” She teases, poking his arm repeatedly as she smiles at him. 

“I’m glad that I’m so appreciated.” Suna deadpans, ignoring her as he continues walking down the aisle. 

“But I do appreciate you Rintarou~!” She sings as she follows him. “In fact, you wanna do somethin’ fun after?” 

“…I’m listening.” 

* * *

“AHHH!!!” Atsumu shrieks and jumps awake in fear as he hears a blood curdling scream, frantically looking around in distress. 

“‘Samu?? Suna?? Gin???” Frantically checking their beds, he comes to the horrible realisation that they’re not there. He lets out a pitiful squeak as he hears the same blood curdling scream, jumping up in fright. 

“W-who’s there??” He shakily asks, eyes darting around as he tries to pinpoint the source. He hears his phone vibrate. 

Atsumu slowly approaches his phone, carefully reaching for it in fear. He jumps as he hears another blood curdling scream, only this time, he knows the source. 

Glaring angrily, Atsumu grabs his phone as he opens it. 

_‘L/N Y/N is calling…’_

“WHY DIDJA CHANGE MY RINGTONE?!?!” 

_“What are you talkin’ about, Atsumu? I was just callin’ to ask if you heard the screams.”_

“Wha-” 

Atsumu shrieks as he hears another blood curdling scream from behind him, quickly turning around to find Suna holding his phone, filming him, and Osamu playing Y/N’s scream on his phone. 

“YOU BASTARDS-!” 

“Oi, why’re you all makin’ so much noise?” Ginjima whispers as he enters the room. “Aren’t you guys meant to be sleepin’??” 

“Gin?? Where were you??” Atsumu asks, whispering as well as he flops back onto his bed in exasperation. 

“I was just goin’ to the toilet, then I heard a buncha screams and honestly? I don’t wanna know. Now go to bed before you wake up Kita-san.” 

“Argh fine…” Atsumu mumbles, turning around to go back to bed, he flinches when the blood curdling scream plays again. 

“STOP PLAYIN’ THAT ‘SAMU!” 

_“Welp, that’s my cue to go. Goodnight boys, see you in the mornin’.”_

“Night Y/N.” “Night N/N.” They chorus as she hangs up. 

Kagawa sleepily rubs her eyes as she looks over to Y/N. “L/N-chan…? What were you doin’…?” 

“Hm?” Y/N glances at her, smiling apologetically. “Oh did I wake you? Sorry.” 

“No it’s fine, but what were you doin’?” 

Y/N shrugs nonchalantly as she tucks herself back into bed. “Just prankin’ Osamu’s stunt double.” 

“…” Kagawa stares unimpressed at Y/N, making her pout. “Stunt double? Really?” 

“What?? Am I wrong??” 

“…G’night.” Kagawa deadpans, flopping back onto her pillow as she tries to get back to sleep. 

“Goodnight.” Y/N whispers back, snuggling into bed as she hugs her fox plushie close. She’s going to be so tired in the morning, but it’s definitely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter~~ OuO  
> If you're wondering why I chose for them to go to Kyushu, there are many reasons but the _main_ reason is because I have friends that live in Kyushu XD Funnily enough, they're twins too XD And their personalities are lowkey similar to the Miya twins... wait I'm kind of getting freaked out so I'll stop thinking about this :D 
> 
> Anywayyy I know it's been a few days but omg I'm still not over the recent manga chapter?? Spoiler alert so don't keep reading if you don't want to be spoiled but I WAS SO EMOTIONAL WHEN I WAS READING IT 😭😭😭 LIKE OMG?? ATSUMU??? OSAMU??? MY BOYS ARE ALL GROWN UP AND THEY'RE ALL MATURE(ish) AND JUST LIVING LIFE AS ADULTS NOW AND I'M JUST SO- _*sobs uncontrollably*_
> 
> I legit wrote a whole 3 page analysis on Atsumu's character development, the Inarizaki banner and the relationship between the twins and Kita XD I posted some of it on my instagram story but welp XD Also speaking of Kita... I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE HIM AGAIN OMG 😭😭😭 HE'S SO HANDSOME AND HE WAS SMILINGGGG OMG HE WAS _**SMILINGGGG**_ I FELT SO BLESSED AND LOVED JUST SEEING HIS PANEL 😭😭 I MISSED HIM SO MUCH AND I LOVE HIM AND NOW I'M SCARED THAT I'LL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN 😭😭😭 Argh I need to stop thinking about this or else I'm going to be sad ;-;
> 
> I also said on my Twitter a few weeks ago that I'd _only_ take care of myself and go to bed before 5am if/when Kita shows up again... So... :))) I'm here to proudly announce that I've been going to bed before 5am ever since the chapter came out! (Give or take 10 minutes shhhh I'm doing my best) This probably won't last though because I have deadlines next week sooo :D
> 
> Anyway anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! OuO It's more relationship based so there wasn't much volleyball~ And with this... we get one chapter closer to Interhigh... _*chuckles ominously*_
> 
> ~~~  
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	17. Second-Year Shenanigans

Y/N quietly walks into the boy’s room, looking around to find them still sleeping. She smiles softly as she takes a deep breath, almost feeling guilty for what she’s about to do. They look so peaceful. 

Too bad peace was never an option. 

“GUYS! OH MY GOSH WAKE UP! BREAKFAST’S ALREADY OVER! KITA-SENPAI’S GONNA KILL YOU!” 

“WHAT?!” Atsumu jolts awake in panic, jumping up so high he bangs his head on Osamu’s top bunk. He clutches his head in pain, groaning as he staggers out of bed. 

“Owugh-!” He falls onto the floor with a loud thud, making Y/N cringe as she helps him up. 

“Um… you good?” 

“No… Argh get up everyone! We needa go!” He yells, grabbing Osamu’s leg as he tries to pull him off his bed. 

“Get yer filthy hands off of me you dirty pig!” Osamu yells, kicking Atsumu in the face as he falls off the top bunk. 

“I’ve been asking for death my whole life. If Kita-san’s the one to kill me, so be it.” Suna declares, wrapping his blanket around himself as he rolls over to face the wall. 

Ginjima sighs as he quickly climbs off his bed on top of Suna’s. “Suna, come on. We needa go.” 

“You can’t make me. None of you can make me. My phone has enough blackmail material to destroy all your lives.” 

“Your phone? You mean the one I’m currently holdin’ in my hands?” Y/N asks. 

“…” 

“…Suna, are you breathin’…?” 

Suna suddenly shoots out of his bed, jumping onto Y/N as she staggers back. 

“Give me my phone-!” 

“Hitoshi!” Y/N yells, throwing his phone to Ginjima, who fumbles a little as he catches it. Seeing this, Suna starts trying to jump on Ginjima as well, but Y/N grabs his ankle as he trips and falls onto the floor. 

The loud thud of Suna’s fallen body startles the twins as they freeze mid-fight, glancing at his unmoving body on the floor as he just lies there. 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N sighs heavily, she should have known this wouldn’t be easy. “Alright everyone, go brush your teeth and go to the toilet and stuff, do your mornin’ routines and whatever but just hurry up!” 

The four of them quickly try to compose themselves as they hurriedly get ready, scurrying around the room. 

“Oh, and when I said do your mornin’ routines, I meant everyone except Atsumu.” 

“What??” 

“We don’t have time for your million-step skin and hair routine! Just get ready!” 

Atsumu, Osamu and Suna stare at Y/N with completely dead faces, while Ginjima facepalms and sighs. They should have known. 

Y/N smiles innocently at them, filling up a glass of water as she waits for them to say something. 

“…Y/N.” 

“Ya?” 

“No one’s awake yet, right?” 

“That is correct, yes.” 

“You’re on breakfast duty today, right?” 

“You are correct once again, yes.” Y/N confirms, taking out a chair as she sits down, looking at the glass of water in her hand in interest. 

“So… YOU LIED TO US?!!?” 

“Yeeeeep~” She sings, casually taking a loud sip of her water as she lets Ginjima and Osamu hold Suna and Atsumu back, stopping them from attacking her. 

“So you’re saying, I could have slept for an extra half hour?” Suna asks, unnervingly calm. 

“Wow, you guys are so smart today, you’re all assumin’ everythin’ correctly! Good job!” 

“Gin, let go of me. I’m going to kill her.” 

“And let me have the sweet satisfaction of death before you can? Doubt it~” Y/N hums, drinking the rest of her water as she sets the glass down on the table. “Anyway, like you said before, I’m on breakfast duty today. Is it so bad that I wanted help from my best friends?” 

The four of them sigh tiredly as she smiles innocently at them. 

“If you wanted our help, you should’ve just asked instead of scarin’ us in the mornin’ like that.” Osamu mutters, elbowing Atsumu when he’s about to complain. 

“Oh really? Wow Osamu, you’re so smart! I would have never thought of that!” Y/N gasps in fake shock. “Maybe I’ll do that next time!” 

“For someone that wants our help, you sure are makin’ it hard for us to wanna help you.” Atsumu scowls, huffing as he crosses his arms. “Now ask nicely.” 

“Pfft, I don’t need you. I just need the better twin.” 

“I always knew you were smart.” Osamu chuckles, high fiving Y/N as he opens the fridge to get some eggs. “If you guys don’t wanna help, you can go for a jog or somethin’.” 

“…I think I’ll stay.” Suna mutters, sighing as he goes to wash his hands. Ginjima shrugs as he goes to the fridge as well, leaving Atsumu pouting at the door. 

After a few moments, Atsumu sighs. “Wait, don’t leave me out. I’ll help I swear!” 

* * *

“Thank you for the practise match.” Coach Kurosu says, shaking the other coach’s hand. 

“No no! It’s an honour to play with Inarizaki! I’m sure the boys learnt a lot!” He exclaims excitedly, shaking Coach Kurosu’s hand for an abnormally long amount of time. “Thank you so much for arranging this! We’ll see you at Interhigh next week!” 

“Argh… I messed up my float serves…” Atsumu groans in distress, ruffling his hair as he tries to resist the urge to scream. 

“Lame.” Osamu mutters, walking past. 

“SHUT IT ‘SAMU!” 

“You’re so nit-picky on yourself.” Y/N rolls her eyes as she wacks his back with a towel. “If anythin’, you should be super proud of the fact that they’re improvin’ so quickly.” 

“Yeah yeah, improvin’ blah blah.” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “It’s all useless if I can’t destroy everyone with service aces!” 

Everyone sighs at this, classic Atsumu. 

“…I think we’d have world peace if you’d shut up.” Y/N mutters, sighing as she walks away. 

“ARGH! I’M TOO FRUSTRATED! I’MA WORK ON MY SETS!” Atsumu declares as he stomps over to the volleyball cart, tossing the ball as he repeatedly sets it, arching further and further back as he slowly gets into a low position. 

Y/N facepalms as she watches this, Atsumu’s always trying to practise setting overhanded from various awkward positions. Most people wouldn’t see the point, since it would be easier to opt for an underarm toss, but despite being a conceited jerk, no one treats their spikers with as much sincerity and selflessness as Atsumu. 

“HNGGGGHHH!!” He groans, body almost parallel to the ground as keeps tossing the ball. 

“Is it time for limbo?” Osamu questions. 

“There is nothing praiseworthy about trying to bump a ball overhanded no matter what.” Kita states matter-of-factly, shaking his head at Atsumu. 

“Do you really think so, Kita-senpai?” Y/N asks. “I think, doing your best to deliver the most brilliant toss, regardless of position, is plenty praiseworthy.” 

Kita looks at Y/N in interest, before turning his gaze back to Atsumu, observing him as he continues his setting drill. “Perhaps you could look at it that way. Although the intention is honourable, I do believe that this tenacity will someday lead to injury.” 

“That’s why we’re here, aren’t we?” Ojiro asks, joining the conversation. “So he doesn’t go overboard and injure himself like the idiot he is.” 

“Pu-haha!” Kita laughs, smiling as he turns away. “Yes, I guess that is true.” 

Everyone stares at Kita, wide-eyed as he walks away, glancing at each other in shock. 

“…Did Kita-san just laugh…?” 

“I feel like we were just blessed…?” 

“Wow, maybe this is a sign we’re gonna win Interhigh…” 

“Rintarou.” Y/N calls, running over to Suna, who’s still frozen in shock. “ _Please_ tell me you filmed that. You don’t know how much money I’d be willin’ to pay just to experience that again.” 

“…I’m sorry, I’ve failed you.” He mumbles, sighing sadly as he slumps and looks down towards the floor. Solemnly, she pats his back, feeling the same disappoint. 

“It’s alright, maybe beautiful miracles like these, can only be felt in fleeting moments.” 

“Did hearing Kita-san’s laugh turn you into a poet?” 

“Wait, whaddya mean Kita-san laughed??” Atsumu asks, hurriedly wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. 

“I mean, he went…” Y/N gestures to Suna, who re-enacts Kita’s laugh. 

“Pu-haha!” 

“Like that, but more charmin’.” Y/N nods, giving Suna thumbs up. 

“No way… I missed it??” Atsumu screeches, pulling at his towel in frustration. “Dammit! Please tell me you filmed it, Suna!” 

“You want me to lie to you?” 

Atsumu facepalms and groans, collapsing onto the ground as he repeatedly hits it with his fists. “Argh! Dammit! Let’s have a competition to see who can make him laugh!” 

“What does the winner get?” Osamu asks, suddenly joining their conversation at the mention of a challenge. 

“Braggin’ rights?” 

“More like they’re spared the shame of embarrassment.” Y/N and Suna drone in unison, feeling exasperated by the twin’s death wish. 

“Just forget about it, guys. Don’tcha remember your last attempt at makin’ Kita-senpai laugh?” 

Atsumu and Osamu sweat drop as they avoid eye contact, not wanting to remember their previous attempt. 

“Exactly. So just give up.” 

“But quittin’ is lame N/N! It’s for losers!” Atsumu whines childishly. 

“Figures. No wonder why it’s perfect for you.” 

“Oi! Rude!” 

“D’ya guys wanna do extra practise?” Ginjima asks as he joins them, dragging a volleyball cart behind him. “I feel like a 2-on-2 match would be pretty fun, whaddya say?” 

“No tha-” 

“Yes.” Atsumu interrupts Suna, smiling brightly as he grabs his arm and drags him to the court. “Suna’s my partner~ We’re gonna destroy you two~!” 

“…Does he really think he can make Kita-senpai laugh? With that trashy personality?” Y/N deadpans, sighing as she also walks towards the court, wordlessly accepting her position as referee. “I doubt Kita-senpai likes trash.” 

“Maybe Kita-san can help clean up his personality?” Osamu suggests, stretching his arms as he walks onto the court with Ginjima. 

“If Kita-san can’t, then Atsumu’s a lost cause.” 

“Why do I feel like those guys are trashin’ me?” Atsumu scowls, making Suna roll his eyes. 

“Because they obviously are. The real question is, do you really think you want me on your team?” 

“Duh! Yer really great at volleyball y’know, if you weren’t so lazy, you’d probs be one of the best.” 

Suna raises his eyebrow at this, silently questioning him. “…Not everyone can have a crazy thirst for victory like you… Us humans don’t love volleyball as much as you do.” 

“Eh, maybe ya just haven’t found a reason yet. Once you found a reason, before y’know it, you’ll be workin’ _crazy_ hard like me~” Atsumu says, jumping up and down a few times to warm up his legs. 

“…I doubt it.” 

“SUNA!! WHY DIDN’TCHA RUN AFTER THAT BALL?!?! YOU COULD’VE TOTALLY GOTTEN IT UP!!” 

“…I’m a middle blocker.” He mutters, rolling his eyes as he gets back into position. 

“THAT’S NO EXCUSE YOU IDIOT! IF WE LOSE IT’S ‘COZ OF THAT POINT!” 

“Actually, if we lose, it’s beca-” 

“Are you guys arguin’ as a distraction strategy or…?” Y/N trails off, watching them in interest. “‘Coz you guys can keep fightin’ if you want, just don’t keep an eye on the scoreboard. Y’know… just in case somethin’ happens.” 

“We’re not fightin’!” Atsumu huffs, stomping back to his position. “Make sure ya run after the ball next time, Suna!” 

“Whatever…” 

* * *

“Can you cook the rice, L/N-chan?” Kagawa asks. “Chika-chan’s makin’ the miso soup, and I left my phone in our room so I’m gonna go get it.” 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Y/N smiles, going to wash the rice first before putting it in the rice cooker. She waves Kagawa goodbye as she quickly slips out, working in silence with Inoue. It’s almost dinner time so the boys are either washing up after a long day of training, or using the time to get some well-deserved rest. 

Kagawa quickly returns, slipping through the door quickly as she clears her throat. “Um… Osamu-kun’s kinda, waitin’ outside the door…?” 

“Huh?” Y/N asks, turning around to see Osamu awkwardly standing in the doorway. “Osamu? D’ya need somethin’?” 

“…” Osamu nervously fiddles with his fingers as he shifts from side-to-side, avoiding eye contact. “Can I… help with dinner…?” 

The three managers blink in surprise as they all glance at each other, before turning back to Osamu, who’s still nervously standing in the doorway. 

“Why’re you so shy?” Y/N chuckles, smiling at him as he finally makes eye contact. “Of course you can. Thanks for the help.” 

He bows slightly to Kagawa and Inoue as he enters. “Thanks for havin’ me…” 

“Wow Osamu-kun!” Kagawa gasps in awe, eyes sparkling as she watches him cook. “You’re so good at cookin’! You should keep helpin’ us!” 

“Thanks?” 

“Seriously, Osamu, you’re amazin’.” Y/N smiles, giving him thumbs up. “If I don’t end up findin’ someone I wanna marry, can I marry you?” 

Osamu rolls his eyes at this. “You don’t needa marry me y’know. I’d still cook for you.” 

“Awww! That’s so sweet! At least I know I’m not gonna be a starvin’ artist. I’ll be a well-fed artist.” 

“Sure.” 

“But anyway, I totally agree with Kagawa-chan, you should keep helpin’ us.” Y/N says, smiling innocently at him as he side eyes her. 

“…You two just don’t wanna do anythin’, right?” 

“I-I’m sure they’re just grateful for you help, Miya-senpai!” Inoue stutters, sheepishly trying to help as Y/N and Kagawa shamelessly sit around, watching him. 

“Nah he’s totally right.” 

“I’m fine with just watchin’ him cook.” 

Inoue sweat drops at this, sighing in exasperation as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“You two are great moral support at least, so I guess it’s still a group effort?” 

“Works for us~” 

* * *

“We’re flyin’ back to Hyogo tomorrow mornin’.” Coach Kurosu announces, making sure he has everyone’s attention. “So make sure to pack all yer bags tonight, I don’t mind if you play around, just make sure you’re not late tomorrow. That’s all!” 

Y/N quickly packs away her belongings in her room, wanting to crash into the boy’s room to spend some time with them. Once she packs all her bags, she quickly waves at Kagawa and Inoue before running over to the boy’s room and throwing the door open. 

“HELLO MY BEAUTIES~!” 

“Geh-! Knock next time!” Atsumu huffs as he continues badly folding his clothes. 

“Honestly, why do you even bother? If you’re ‘folding’ them like that, they’ll be just as wrinkled as if you never folded them at all.” Suna states, staring at Atsumu with dead eyes as he somehow folds his clothes perfectly despite not even looking at them. 

“Shut it, Suna!” 

“Why does it always have to be noisy whenever we’re all together…?” Ginjima mumbles, sighing as he flops onto his bed, having already packed up before dinner. 

“Maybe the noise helps fill up the empty void within?” Y/N suggests as she lies on the floor, taking her phone out to check her notifications. 

“Depressing. Relatable.” Suna nods, neatly packing everything away before joining Y/N on the floor. 

Rolling his eyes, Atsumu stuffs the rest of his clothes into his suitcase, already giving up as he flops onto his bed, screeching as Suna grabs his ankle and drags him onto the floor with them. 

“Shuddup, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu mutters. “We don’t wanna hear your voice.” 

“You shuddup!” 

Ginjima sighs tiredly. “How am I still alive? I never catch a break… at least talk ‘bout Interhigh or somethin’…” 

“Great idea.” Suna nods, taking out his phone to play sad background music. “In a few days… we’ll be at Interhigh.” He looks off into the distance as they all stare at him, completely unimpressed. 

“Dramatic much?” 

“You’re one to talk, Atsumu.” 

“I’m pretty sure mum would’ve called him Dramatsumu if she knew he’d turn out this way.” Osamu mutters. “Dramatsumu? Dratsumu?” 

“Bratsumu.” Y/N and Suna say in unison, high fiving as they smile at him. 

“Rude!” 

“Why can’t you four ever stay on topic…” Ginjima sighs, he seriously considers just tucking himself into bed right then and there. Sleep is the only escape. 

“There ain’t much to talk ‘bout, Gin.” Atsumu says, stretching a bit as he sprawls on the floor. “We’re goin’ to Interhigh, what’s there to talk about? Gonna make declarations or somethin’?” 

“I mean, you can?” 

“Huh, then I declare that we’re gonna beat those Tokyo jerks.” 

“Yes, yes. Itachiyama.” Suna nods. “The team with Sa- with Saku- Y/N, finish the name for me.” 

“No.” 

“Wrong, his name isn’t Sakuno, try again.” 

“Just drop it, Suna.” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “Your Sakusa x Y/N ship ain’t ever gonna sail. Ain’t that right, N/N?” 

“…” Y/N ignores him as she takes out her phone, flicking through her feed boredly. 

“Wait, N/N! Say it’s never gonna happen!” 

“No.” 

“No as in it’s never gonna happen, or no as in you’re not gonna say it’s never gonna happen??” 

"Yes."

“Yes as in-?” 

“Just shut up, Atsumu.” 

* * *

“Get up ‘Samu! We’re flyin’ soon! And if you don’t get yer dirty butt outta bed then we’re gonna be late!” 

Osamu slowly blinks and squints at Atsumu, rubbing his eyes as he looks at him. “…Man, I look sh*t today.” 

“I’M NOT A MIRROR!” 

“Argh… Can’t you shut up sometimes, Atsumu?” Suna mumbles as he brushes his teeth. “It’s too early to hear your voice, I’m so glad I don’t live with you.” 

“Suna, brush your teeth in the bathroom.” Ginjima scowls, sighing tiredly. “Osamu, please get outta bed, we’re leavin’ soon.” 

“I’m goin’, I’m goin’.” He mutters, slowly climbing out of bed as he ‘accidentally’ elbows Atsumu, starting another fist fight between the brothers. Sighing tiredly again, Ginjima turns around and walks out the door. They’re not his problem. 

“‘Kay, is everyone here?” Coach Kurosu asks, looking around and mentally counting their heads. 

“Nope, we lost Atsumu. What a shame.” Suna says. 

“Oi! I’m right here!” 

“We’ll lose him next time…” Osamu mutters under his breath, making Y/N smirk as she rolls her eyes. 

“Anyway, let’s play _Janken pon_ to decide who has to sit next to him this time.” Y/N says, preparing to play rock, paper, scissors with the other second years. 

“Why is sittin’ next to me a punishment…?” Atsumu mutters, crossing his arms as he huffs. 

“Oop, it’s Gin this time. Good luck.” Suna says, patting Ginjima on the back. “Honestly though, why don’t we just make Atsumu sit next to a first year?” 

“And make our poor kouhai’s suffer? No thanks.” Y/N says. “I’m gonna sit with Osamu by the way, so you’re gonna have to find someone else to sit with.” 

“Meh, anyone’s better than sitting with Atsumu.” 

“Oi! Rude!” 

“Shut up, ‘Tsumu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oya? We're one chapter closer to Interhigh~ Just one more chapter... and then... _*chuckles ominously*_ All the things I've been hinting at... forshadowing... for the previous 17 chapters... they're going to start to come together... _huehuehue..._ Can't wait~
> 
> I'm officially out of intense drawing mode~ =w= Finished my unofficial triology, so you can see the last piece [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_jprO0ncZj/) =w=  
> I was _going_ to say that I'm going to stop posting about my art here, because I didn't really have any intentions of linking my art XD but I somehow, accidentally, started drawing Sakusa so... I'll post my fanart here some time soon :) (I hope you're mentally prepared because omg he already looks so cute-) 
> 
> Anyway~ tiny rant, but I'm legit drowning in so many university assignments omg :') I have so many deadlines I'm dying :')) and the worst part is, there's a Webtoon short story competition happening right now, and I _really_ want to join but I know that I realistically don't have the time :')) Argh... it's such a good opportunity too... But I know that I shouldn't chase after every opportunity that emerges :') I need to focus on the important things first... Argh... It's a shame since I already have a plot :')) But oh well, I need to focus on my assignments... Send help ;-; 
> 
> Depressingness aside, I'm kind of curious as to who you think Y/N's closest to in the club? From everything that's happened, do you think there's someone particular she's closest to? Or is it pretty even? Obviously she's closest to the second year regulars, but I'm curious to know if you think there's someone she's extra close to 🤔🤔
> 
> Anywaysss~ I'm super duper excited for the next chapter and Interhigh OuO All of Interhigh's already in dot point form and I'm lowkey kind of overwhelmed because there's so many things happening in all the chapters XD I'm so excited for Sakusa omg ☆u☆ He's finally going to [redacted] [redacted] and he'll appear really frequently from then onwards~ =w= I hope you look forward to it! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	18. In Due Time

_Tokyo AniArt Convention!_  
_Artist Alley Applications Out Now!_

Y/N stares at her screen in excitement, breathing heavily as she tries to organise her jumbled mess of a brain. 

_‘Oh my gosh… Artist Alley applications are open now… this is my chance…!’_ Quickly filling out the forms and creating her portfolio, Y/N grins in excitement. Opportunities like this don’t come often, and she finally has a chance at being accepted. 

So why is she hesitating? 

_‘What would my parents say…?’_

Y/N’s smile drops as she grimaces a little, they wouldn’t let her. They’d definitely be against it. _‘I’d be disappointing them again…’_

Sighing heavily, Y/N closes her laptop and faceplants onto her pillow. She pouts as she looks up at her fox plushie, sighing again as she rolls over and hugs it tightly. 

“Ina-kyun… What should I do…?” She mumbles sadly, losing motivation to do anything as she continues to lie there. _‘Should I call someone? Maybe I’ll know what to do if I talked to someone… but who to call?’_

Slowly taking out her phone, Y/N blankly scrolls through her contacts. The obvious choices would be one of the second years since they understand her the best. But they’re probably all too rash and immature to give good advice, especially Atsumu. So maybe a third year? 

Kita’s approach might be _too_ mature, and honestly, she’s too scared to find out what he might think or suggest. She’s not really close to Ojiro, and it’s probably safer to not get roasted alive by Oomimi, so there’s only one person left. 

Y/N hesitantly takes out Akagi’s phone number, should she really be looking for advice? Wouldn’t it be better to just silently accept her parents wishes? 

Does she really want to live this way? 

Pressing the call button, Y/N nervously waits for Akagi to pick up. 

_“Hello? Y/N-chan? What’s up?”_

“Akagi-senpai… are you free at the moment?” She asks hesitantly, making Akagi concerned.

 _“Yeah I am, is there somethin’ wrong? D’ya wanna meet up at the park?”_

“No I- Umm… Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

_“Alright, I’ll be there soon!”_

Y/N facepalms as he hangs up. She agreed to meet up on impulse but… What’s she going to say to her parents? 

“Mum, dad, I’m gonna run some errands for club… Like getting’ extra bandages ‘n stuff… Since it’s Interhigh in a few days…” Y/N trails off, feeling guilty for lying to them, but there’s no way they’d let her leave the house otherwise. 

Her mum raises her eyebrow at her questioningly, scowling a little before sighing. “…Alright, come home soon.” 

Silently sighing in relief, Y/N quickly slips out of her house and walks towards the park nearby, it’s a blessing that she and Akagi live in the same area. Out of habit, she nervously glances behind herself every now and then. 

Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Y/N keeps her eyes trained on the floor, ignoring the strangers around her as they enjoy the nice Summer day. 

_‘I really want to apply…’_ Y/N thinks bitterly. _‘It’s an amazing opportunity for me, I could learn so much from this. I could be getting closer to my dreams…’_

_‘But why am I only thinking about what’s better for me?’_

Akagi’s already waiting for her at the park, quickly noticing her and smiling. “Y/N-chan! Over here!” 

He expects her to roll her eyes, scoff and say, _‘I have eyes you know.’_ But she doesn’t. Y/N nervously smiles at him as she sits down on the bench, shoulders hunched, fiddling with her fingers as her eyes dart around the park, avoiding eye contact. 

“Y/N-chan… What’s wrong?” He asks, looking at her in concern. 

Pressing her lips together, Y/N opens and closes her mouth a few times, not really knowing what to say. She sighs deeply before turning to look at Akagi. “Akagi-senpai… Do you think I’m selfish?” 

“H-Huh?” 

“Do you think I’m a selfish person?” She asks again, looking at him blankly. 

“Of course not, after everythin’ you’ve done for the team? D’ya really think you’re selfish?” 

“I think so…” She mumbles, smiling sadly as she swings her legs back and forth. “Because there’s so much I’m willin’ to do… willin’ to sacrifice, just to get where I want. Isn’t that terrible? Heaps of people call me a manipulative, cunnin’ fox… And I know it’s true, but…” 

Akagi pats her shoulder, doing his best to smile encouragingly at her. “Y’know… havin’ goals and ambitions is a great thing, you should be proud that you’ve got somethin’ you’re willin’ to do a lot for. I think it’s admirable.” 

Y/N smiles softly, turning to look at her swinging legs. “Maybe… But I’m disappointin’ my parents… again…” 

“Is that what this is about?” Akagi asks, sighing as he looks up at the sky. “Your parents shouldn’t dictate your life y’know… and they shouldn’t make you feel guilty for wantin’ somethin’. Shouldn’t they be happy that you’ve got somethin’ that makes you happy?” 

“The cost of happiness is too high, it seems.” Y/N shrugs sadly, looking up at the sky as well. “There’s an anime art convention in Tokyo, happenin’ in December… they just opened for artist applications, I really wanted to join…” 

“Wanted? Or do you still want to?” 

“Of course I still wanna, it’s an amazin’ opportunity, and I might actually have a chance at bein’ accepted! But…” Y/N trails off, looking at Akagi pointedly. 

“But you don’t wanna disappoint your parents, they wouldn’t want you to apply.” Akagi finishes. “But y’know, Y/N, take my advice as a carin’ senpai. Opportunities like these don’t come often, why are you lettin’ your parents hold you back? You? Stubborn, headstrong, self-assured Y/N? I say you go for it, aren’tcha tired of holdin’ yourself back for the sake of others?” 

Y/N smiles at this. “I’m gonna assume you’re describin’ me in a positive way.” 

Akagi rolls his eyes as he stands up, grinning at her. “You’re a sly, cunning fox whether you like it or not, and that ain’t a bad thing y’know. You better go home right now and apply straight away.” 

“Can’t believe you’re bossin’ me around, just ‘coz you’re a senpai.” Y/N rolls her eyes, smirking at him. 

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Akagi rolls his eyes. “But y’know Y/N, I really do hope you keep goin’ the way you’re goin’. I’m proud of you.” 

Y/N rushes home with a small smile on her face, feeling a little lighter. Once she arrives at her house, she quickly reverts her face back to its usual expressionless state. 

“I’m home.” She mumbles as she quickly goes to her room, opening her laptop and instantly submitting her applications. 

_‘Wait… what did I just do…’_ Y/N facepalms and starts pacing around her room. _‘I said I was gonna do it and I did… but omg what do I do now?? How do I tell mum and dad???’_

She groans as she grabs her fox plushie, violently squeezing it as she scrunches her face and cringes at her impulsive behaviour. “Argh… this is your fault Ina-kyun!” 

_‘For now, they don’t need to know.’_

* * *

“We have volleyball practise today, so I’ll be back later.” Y/N says, face devoid of emotions as she feigns nonchalance. 

“Huh? Today? Aren’tcha goin’ to Yamagata for the championships thing tomorrow? Why would you have volleyball practise _today_?” 

Y/N nervously fiddles with her fingers behind her back, still maintaining her blank face. “It’s last minute practise before we go to Interhigh, so it’s pretty important…” 

Her father scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I would’ve thought you’d have a rest day, but I guess it can’t be helped. Alright, you can go.” 

“Thanks…” She mutters, quietly slipping out of the house with her sports bag and heading to the bus stop. 

_‘I’m sorry you raised a liar, mum and dad.’_ Y/N mentally thinks as she walks up to the Miya household, sighing under her breath as she rings the doorbell. She instantly hears loud footsteps running towards the door. 

“Y/N-chan!” Mrs Miya flings the door open and grins, pulling her in. “My favourite child has arrived! Come in, come in! The boys are in the twin’s room~!” 

Y/N chuckles at her antics. “Miya-san, I thought Osamu was your favourite child?” 

“Osamu who? I ain’t got no sons.” 

“WE CAN HEAR YOU WOMAN!” Atsumu yells from his room as they get closer. 

“I’M GLAD YOU CAN HEAR! I’D BE WORRIED IF YOU HAD ANOTHER BIRTH DEFECT!” 

“HUH?! I AIN’T GOT NO BIRTH DEFECTS!” 

“OH YEAH?? THEN EXPLAIN THAT DEFORMITY OF A BRAIN OF YOURS! AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON YOUR PERSONALITY!” Mrs Miya yells as she flings their bedroom door open, glaring at Atsumu as everyone else sweat drops. 

“Welcome back, M-” Suna begins. 

“Suna, don’t say it.” Osamu scowls. 

“Mama Miya…” Suna whispers under his breath, smirking as Ginjima and Osamu facepalm. Y/N cringes as she tries to discreetly enter the room, not wanting to interrupt whatever fight Atsumu and his mum’s having. 

“You raised me with this personality woman. I got it from you. YOU!” 

Mrs Miya looks so disgusted at the accusation. “Ewwwww to compare me to you is the most insultin’ thing I’ve ever heard! Don’t you dare talk back to me!” 

“Oh yeah?? Whatcha gonna do huh?? Whatcha gonna do???” Atsumu taunts, jumping up as he moves around in an exaggerated manner. Osamu loudly opens a packet of chips from his seat next to the Tatami table, munching on them and passing the packet around as they continue to watch. 

“Oh ho? Are you challengin’ me?” Mrs Miya asks, pulling a sour face as she raises an eyebrow. “Well well well, it would be an _absolute shame_ if you couldn’t go to Interhigh. An _absolute shame_.” 

“Mama Miya.” Suna whispers under his breath again, discreetly filming the fight. 

“O-oi! You can’t do that!” Atsumu screeches. 

“Oh can’t I?” Mrs Miya asks, taking her phone out in an exaggerated manner. “Oh! I can’t stop you from goin’ to Interhigh? Then why is my finger gettin’ closer to the call button!” She exclaims as she takes out Coach Kurosu’s phone number, gasping in fake shock. “My my, I can’t stop you? Then why is it, that when I press this button, and say a simple sentence, you’re stayin’ back here for a week? Hmm? It’s a mystery!” 

“A mystery indeed.” Osamu pipes in, still loudly munching on his chips and his brother and mother ignore him. 

“Geh-!” 

“Geh? Atsumu! That’s not a real word! Oh no! Did I not only born you with a defected brain, but a defected mouth too??” 

“Shuddup!” 

“His mouth seems to be workin’ a little too well, Miya-san!” Y/N calls, smirking at Atsumu’s disgruntled expression. “Maybe you can fix it so it doesn’t work so well?” 

“Another amazin’ idea, Y/N-chan~” Mrs Miya sighs happily. “Makes me so glad that my only child is so smart~!” 

“Wait a minute…” Osamu squints. “Excuse me?” 

“Yer excused.” Mrs Miya shrugs as she waves him off. “Anyways, I have better things to do than entertain you guys, don’t get into another fight okay?? I don’t wanna hear anythin’ about any fights. Unless Atsumu loses, then you can tell me all ‘bout it.” 

Y/N, Suna and Ginjima wave her goodbye as she leaves, ignoring the twin’s pouts. 

“Your mum’s the best.” Y/N says, smirking at Atsumu and Osamu’s irritated expressions. 

“That’s only ‘coz she likes you.” Atsumu grumbles, moving to sit at the Tatami table. “I swear! That woman’s so mean! Defected brain? Really??” 

“Is she wrong though?” Ginjima mutters under his breath. 

“She has to be that way since she gave birth to _you_ , ‘Tsumu. She’s cursed for life and she’s got no choice.” Osamu rolls his eyes as he sadly looks at his empty packet of chips. He ate it all, oops. 

“Oi, she doesn’t want you either.” 

“That’s only ‘coz she can’t look at my face without thinkin’ ‘bout you, another example of you ruinin’ my life.” 

“Mama Miya, here we go again.” Suna whispers, snickering when they all look at him, completely unimpressed. 

“You can stop now.” 

“So, Interhigh’s tomorrow huh?” Ginjima asks, cleaning up the broken playing cards. Why is everyone so aggressively competitive? 

“Yeah, honestly I’m really excited. Yamagata prefecture huh?” Y/N asks, helping Ginjima as she sweeps some of the broken cards from under the bed. It turns out that she doesn’t take losing too lightly, and _accidentally_ ended up throwing the cards at Atsumu like shuriken, only for him to use his athletic reflexes to dodge. It’s a good thing too, since they shattered upon impact with the wall. 

“Mm, we’re gonna win this time.” Atsumu declares, lazily scrolling through his phone. “We ain’t gonna let those Tokyo jerks get the better of us this time.” 

“Didn’tcha say that last time? Startin’ to think that you’re just cursin’ us. Maybe if you didn’t say that every time, we’d actually win.” Osamu mutters. 

“What’s yer problem ‘Samu??” 

“It all started when I was born…” 

“Oi, your mum said not to fight.” Ginjima scowls, huffing as throws the last of the cards in the bin. “I swear, you two are more childish than my little sisters.” 

“Shocker.” Suna mutters, scrolling through memes on his phone. 

“Anyway… what teams are you guys lookin’ forward to playin’? For me, it’s probably Shiratorizawa again.” Ginjima continues, mentally praying that they stay on topic rather than diverging into their usual random chaos. 

“Shiratorizawa huh? Guess I’m looking forward to that too. I need to show that _Gesu Mister_ who’s boss.” Suna says, putting his phone down as he looks at them. 

“Ohh! Shiratorizawa’s nice, but I’m more lookin’ forward to our eternal rivals, Itachiyama.” Atsumu says, perking up in interest at the volleyball related discussion. 

“With your personality, I’m pretty sure everyone sees you as an eternal rival, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu rolls his eyes. “Since you’re basically that evil antagonist everyone wants to beat.” 

“Everyone wants to beat, but can’t~” 

“Didn’t you lose to Itachiyama in semi-finals last time?” Y/N deadpans. 

“Oi! Who’s side are you on?? My loss is your loss too!” 

“Actually, your loss is my win. Foxes aren’t really known for bein’ loyal y’know.” 

“Are foxes loyal?” Osamu questions, stroking his chin. 

“Huh, that’s a good question. Rintarou?” 

Quickly taking out his phone, Suna Googles it. “Well according to Google, foxes actually _are_ loyal.” 

“Huh, whaddya know. Oh well.” 

“Wait how did you guys go from talkin’ about Interhigh to talkin’ about the loyalty of foxes??” Ginjima facepalms, groaning at their antics. At this point, he thinks they’re just doing it on purpose to mess with him. 

“Why are you always prompting us to talk about Interhigh, Hitoshi?” Y/N smirks. “Are you waitin’ for one of us to say somethin’ heartfelt or scandalous or somethin’?” 

“Breaking news, Y/N is in love with one of our rivals, and therefore, a traitor.” Suna announces, smirking when she glares at him. “I’m kiddinggg. But seriously, think of the headlines.” 

“If there was an article like that, I can imagine all the comments would just be ‘who’s Y/N?’” Atsumu scoffs. “If anythin’, there’ll be articles about me.” 

“Breaking news, Atsumu is in love with one of our rivals, and therefore, a traitor.” Suna announces. 

“That’ll definitely get people to talk.” Y/N snickers, smirking at the mental image. 

Atsumu groans as he sneers in disgust. “Argh… Why do I let you people into my house…” 

“I ask myself that every time you forget the keys.” Osamu rolls his eyes, sighing as he looks around the room for more snacks. “Should I get more snacks?” 

“Osamu, Interhigh’s tomorrow, you shouldn’t be eatin’ junk food.” Ginjima sighs tiredly, these kids will never stay on topic. It’s up to him to make sure they don’t get too chaotic. “D’ya guys wanna play some games?” 

* * *

“I knew it would turn out like this. It's not my problem you suck.” Atsumu's sh*t eating grin looks more punchable than usual. The rest of the boys warily glance at Y/N in slight unease. She snaps.

Y/N shoots up and tackles Atsumu to the floor. Startled, he falls over from the impact, letting out a loud yelp.

They roll around on the ground as Y/N firmly grips his collar, aggressively slamming his head into the floor.

“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” Osamu chants enthusiastically as he jumps up and down in excitement, clapping as he chants.

In record time, Suna whips out his phone and instantly starts filming as he joins in on Osamu's chants.

Tumbling around and smashing into various objects, Y/N continues to wrestle Atsumu as he grits his teeth, desperately trying to pry her arms off. But their continuous twists and turns make it harder for him to escape.

He knees her in the stomach, instantly making her lose her grip. As he attempts to flip her over, she jams her elbows into his gut, making him groan and collapse, Osamu and Suna cheer enthusiastically in the background.

“BEAT HIS ASS N/N!” Osamu yells, joining in with Suna when he starts chanting her name.

Ginjima is distraught, completely clueless for what to do.

“G-guys maybe we should stop-”

“AHHHHH!” Atsumu's battle cries interrupt him as he latches onto Y/N's hair.

“Oh sh*t he grabbed her hair...” Osamu whispers.

“Atsumu's dying today...” Suna continues in disbelief. Mentally thinking about how many views he’d get for uploading Atsumu's murder online. 

Ginjima clumsily tries to stop them from fighting but he's too shocked to even do anything useful.

“K-Kita-san!!” He pathetically cries out, Kita isn't even nearby.

Kicking him in the face, Atsumu stumbles back, giving her a chance to regain her footing and charge at him at full speed. She tackles him once again, using her body weight to make him tumble onto the floor. Grabbing his arms to minimise his chances of escaping, she presses her knee into his back as she sits on him.

“D’ya have anythin’ to say you foul-mouthed pathetic punk??” She seethes, pressing his face into the floor. 

“Ohhhh!!!” Osamu and Suna grip each other’s arms in excitement, the two usually emotionless boys have never looked happier. Ginjima desperately wishes this is just a nightmare.

Atsumu, however, seems to welcome death wholeheartedly. He smirks up at her.

“I see that outta the two of us you're the tOP-” Y/N elbows his side as he lets out a pitifully high-pitched yelp.

Osamu collapses onto the floor as he wheezes uncontrollably, tears welling up in his eyes while Suna desperately tries to stabilise his phone as it shakes uncontrollably from his laughter. Poor Ginjima just feels like crying.

Atsumu struggles under Y/N's hold, attempting to flail his arms around to catch her off-guard. Luckily for Y/N, her hold on his arms remains firm, but she smacks his head a few times for good measure.

“I didn't know you were into these kinda things N/N-” Y/N tries to press his face further into the floor, hoping he'd merge with it.

“Listen here you _idiotic dimwit_. I have no issues with killin’ you right here and now, the witnesses and evidence can easily be erased or silenced. Now I want you to think carefully about all the _stupid mistakes_ you've made in your _sad little life_ , and pathetically immerse yourself in utter _despair_. I can't wait for your dumb face to break into tears you moronic jerk!”

Osamu and Suna roll around on the floor wheezing. Somewhere in the middle of Y/N's speech, Suna had given his phone to Ginjima to film. The poor boy just wants to go home.

Y/N leisurely lies on the twin's bunkbed, absentmindedly scrolling through her Twitter feed while Suna lies on the floor beside the bed, his legs resting on her stomach as he checks his Twitter as well. Atsumu munches loudly on snacks Osamu brought from the kitchen, while Osamu reads a book silently.

Ginjima sits still, completely frozen in shock. He can't understand how they can be so chill when it was utter chaos several minutes ago. He sighs in defeat.

“I don't think we should ever play Mario Kart again...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO THOUGHTS  
> HEAD EMPTY  
> JUST  
> NEXT CHAPTER  
> SUPER HYPED  
> CANNOT TYPE  
> SEE YOU THEN
> 
> ~~~  
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	19. And So It Begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

_「 Yamagata Prefecture 」_

Y/N taps her foot in irritation outside the boy’s room. Those jerks better let her in before she does something to ruin their lives. 

“Atsumu, if you don’t finish changin’ in _five seconds_ I swear-” 

“Calm down woman! I’ll finish soon!” 

“He’s not even changing, Y/N. He’s just been doing his hair for the past 10 minutes, refusing to put on a shirt.” Suna states matter-of-factly, sounding bored as usual. 

“If it’s just the shirt he’s missin’, then I can come in-” 

“Ahh! Don’t come in yet! I’ll get changed!” 

“Then hurry up!” Y/N groans in irritation, scowling at the door as she continues to wait. They’d just arrived in the Yamagata prefecture earlier that day, ready for Interhigh tomorrow. They’re _supposed_ to be relaxing, but Y/N can feel her patience running thin, maybe she should have stayed back in her room with Kagawa and Inoue. 

Hearing the twins bicker incomprehensibly, Y/N finally has enough. “That’s it. I’m comin’ in.” 

“Wait-!” 

Throwing the door open, Y/N’s surprised to only find Suna and Ginjima lounging around. Silently, they gesture to the bathroom door. 

Y/N cautiously approaches the door, still hearing the twin’s bickering as a few bangs and crashes are heard. Turning around, she mentally asks if it’s okay for her to just barge in, to which Suna gives her thumbs up, taking out his phone to film. 

Rolling her eyes at this, she throws the door open. 

“…” 

“Are you seriously _bleaching_ your hair right now??” 

“‘Kay, first of all, we ain’t bleachin’, just colourin’. Second of all, how couldja just barge into the bathroom like that??” 

“You guys are colouring?? Osamu’s hair doesn’t even have a colour??” 

“That’s why I’m colourin’ his hair, genius.” Osamu mutters, hands still on Atsumu’s head. 

Y/N groans in exasperation. “You guys couldn’t pick a different day??” 

“Like what? Tomorrow? Or maybe in our matches we’ll be like ‘Referee! Timeout! I needa colour my hair!’” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “Now’s the best time, N/N. I needa look good for those cameras tomorrow.” 

“You needa look good? Then why’d you pick that _disgustin’_ colour again?” 

“What d’ya have against my hair colour??” 

“According to some comments on your last selfie, your hair colour is best described as ‘dehydrated piss yellow’.” Suna calls from the other room. 

“What?!” 

“If you’re gonna dye your hair blond, at least go for platinum blond or somethin’??” Y/N sighs as she facepalms. “I’m done, come out whenever you’re done or somethin’.” 

Slamming the door closed, Y/N sighs as she sits down with Ginjima and Suna, they pat her back in attempts to comfort her. 

“It’s alright, Y/N, he’ll realise that his dehydrated piss yellow hair’s ugly one day.” Suna says. “Whoever made that comment is a genius.” 

“Weren’t you the one that made that comment, Suna?” Ginjima deadpans. 

“Was it? I must have forgotten.” 

* * *

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 1_

Stepping off the bus as they arrive at the gymnasium, Y/N takes a deep breath. It’s finally the day. The soft smile on her face is quickly replaced with a deadpanned expression when she hears the twins start bickering behind her. 

“Atsumu, Osamu, we are here to represent our school and prefecture in a national tournament. There is no need for your immaturity to ruin the experience for our teammates.” Kita scolds, shaking his head at them as they instantly shut up. 

“Yes Kita-san…” 

“Oh? It’s Inarizaki!” 

The Nakiusagi team waves at them as they also get off their bus, cheerfully coming over to greet them. 

“It’s nice to see ya again!” Their captain exclaims, approaching Kita. “I see your team is in good shape?” 

“Yes, the team is in top form, we are lookin’ forward to our matches.” 

“Nice!” 

Atsumu smirks at Matsumoto as he glares back in irritation. “Oh? I forgot that second place also gets to go to Interhigh~” 

“Tch… Watch your back Miya, second place or not, we’re gonna win this.” 

“What a coincidence! We’re gonna win too!” Atsumu gasps in fake shock. “How strange! There’ll be two winners this time!” 

“Stop bein’ such a jerk, Atsumu.” Y/N rolls her eyes as she grabs the back of his shirt and pulls him back. “Sorry ‘bout him, Matsumoto-san, the best way to deal with Atsumu, is to not deal with him at all.” 

“L/N-chan! It’s nice to see you again!” Matsumoto cheers, ignoring Atsumu as he smiles at her. 

“Right… Likewise I guess.” 

“Was there a scheduled pre-game meetup I wasn’t aware of?” Itachiyama’s captain asks, smiling as he approaches them, his team following behind him. “Or is this a Hyogo-only meetup?” 

“Geh-! Acchan… It’s Itachiyama-!” Nakiusagi’s captain whimpers as he hides behind his Libero, despite the obvious height difference. 

“Iizuna, it’s nice to see you again.” Kita greets him as he nods in acknowledgement. “We happened to cross paths while gettin’ off the bus, this interaction was not scheduled.” 

“Ahh I see. Well regardless, it’s nice to see that your team’s in good shape, Kita.” 

“Yours too, Iizuna.” 

“Miya! L/N-chan! It’s been a while!” Komori exclaims as he approaches them, Sakusa reluctantly following behind. “We’re looking forward to playing you guys again!” 

“They need to win their matches if they want to play us.” Sakusa mutters under his breath, much to Atsumu’s irritation. 

“Oh yeah? Well the same goes for you y’know.” Atsumu scowls. “Don’t get ahead of yourself Sakusa, we’re gonna beat you Tokyo jerks.” 

“Don’t you love friendly interactions?” Y/N deadpans as Komori laughs. 

“Well, they’re not wrong~ Anyone can win or lose at anytime~!” He chuckles taking notice of Matsumoto who’s still awkwardly standing there. “Ohh! I know you! You’re Nakiusagi’s Middle Blocker right?” 

“Y-yeah…” He mumbles, feeling intimidated under Komori, Sakusa and Atsumu’s powerful presence. He subconsciously takes a step back, accidentally bumping into Y/N. “Oh- Sorry L/N-chan!” 

“It’s fine.” She smiles. “There’s no need to be intimidated y’know, you’re a great player too.” 

“Huh? Who are you?” Sakusa asks, squinting at Matsumoto who sweats under his piercing stare. “What team are you on? What year are you in? What’s your name?” 

_‘SAVE ME!’_ Matsumoto mentally screams, wanting to run away. 

“Haha! Sorry about him! He’s a real downer!” Komori sheepishly laughs, turning around to whisper at Sakusa. “Oi! Don’t be rude! He’s from Nakiusagi! His team is _literally_ right here!” 

“Whatever…” He mutters, turning to leave to get back to his team. “I’ll see you later.” He nods towards Y/N as he leaves with Komori, purposely ignoring Atsumu and Matsumoto. 

“Argh… that jerk… I’ll show him!” Atsumu grits his teeth in irritation. 

“Why don’tcha save your trash talkin’ until after you beat him?” Osamu deadpans suddenly approaching them with Suna and Ginjima. 

“I’m, umm… gonna go…” Matsumoto trails off nervously, awkwardly walking away. “S-see you guys later…” 

“Yeah that’s right, leave.” Suna says once he’s out of sight, turning to Y/N with a smirk. “Don’t you love friendly interactions?” 

“Yes. Delightful.” She deadpans. 

“Heh… ‘friendly’.” 

The four of them groan as Suna keeps smirking, finding something incredibly amusing. 

“…Let’s just get to the openin’ ceremony…” Ginjima mutters. 

_“Thank you for waiting. We will now begin the opening ceremonies for the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as the Interhigh Tournament.”_

_“The championship flags are now entering, and the 56 representative schools from across Japan are now entering as well.”_

Y/N watches with Kagawa and Inoue from the side as they begin announcing the representative schools. Inoue glances around nervously, not used to the high tension atmosphere, while Y/N and Kagawa stand proudly, waiting for the Inarizaki team to be called. 

_“Hyogo Prefecture’s first representative, boys, Inarizaki High School.”_

The Inarizaki team follows Kita as they enter the stadium, walking proudly as they represent their prefecture and school. Y/N smiles softly as she watches them, contemplating if she should take her phone out to take some pictures. But she decides to just watch the moment, she can screenshot the videos later. 

_“Hyogo Prefecture’s second representative, boys, Nakiusagi Tech.”_

The Nakiusagi team walks out and stands beside Inarizaki. Atsumu smirks at them competitively. The first day of Interhigh has just begun. 

* * *

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 1 – Qualifying Round_

Having won third place at the previous Spring Tournament, Inarizaki is exempt from the first day of matches. Instead, they freely spend the first day watching the Qualifying Round. 

“Bokuto-san!” Akaashi calls as he tosses the ball to Bokuto, who in turn spikes an amazing cross shot. 

“Hey hey hey!” He cheers, hyping up the crowd. 

“He’s as noisy as ever.” Atsumu comments from his seat in the crowd. “Wouldn’t it be super drainin’ to have someone that energetic on your team?” 

“Can’t be more drainin’ then havin’ to deal with you.” Osamu mutters, rolling his eyes as he keeps watching. 

Blinking heavily in his seat, Suna nearly falls asleep until Y/N jabs him in the side. 

“Oi. We’re here to watch Fukurodani play, not for you to nap.” 

“Are we? I didn’t get the memo.” He mutters, trying to stay awake. It would help if he was allowed to use his phone, but unfortunately, Coach Kurosu confiscated it from him. They’re here to watch the matches afterall. 

“Suna… D’ya hafta be this way every time we watch another team’s match?” Coach Kurosu sighs in exasperation. “Is there another team you wanna watch instead?” 

Suna shrugs lazily. “Not really.” 

“Well, I kinda wanna go see the Shiratorizawa match.” Y/N pipes up. “So maybe Rintarou and I can go over and watch them instead?” 

“Ohh sounds fun! Can I come?” Atsumu asks excitedly. 

“No.” They deadpan. “You stay with the team, we don’t wanna be trampled by your fangirls.” 

“Rude!” 

“I’ve got no complaints.” Coach Kurosu shrugs, handing Suna back his phone. “Make sure he doesn’t use it, Y/N, and make sure to come straight back after their match.” 

“Yeah yeah, we will.” Y/N waves him off as she stands up with Suna. “We’ll be back.” 

“Nice kill! Ushijima! Ushijima! Ushijima!” 

“Out of context, that sounds like Ushijima-senpai just murdered someone, and everyone supports him.” Y/N rolls her eyes as she and Suna walk towards the B court, it seems like Shiratorizawa’s got their own fair share of fans. 

“If this is what it’s like trying to get a seat at one of our games, I think I’d just stay home.” Suna mutters, looking around for empty seats near the front row, Coach Kurosu would want them to have a close look. 

“Our games are way more chaotic and crowded than this.” Y/N sighs. “If anything, just be grateful that Shiratorizawa doesn’t have as many squealin’ fangirls as us.” 

“Oh? L/N-chan! Suna!” Komori calls, waving at them from his seat. “You’re watching Shiratorizawa’s match too?” 

Y/N and Suna glance at him, he and Sakusa are sitting on the side, watching the ongoing match. He smiles brightly at them. 

“It’s a little crowded yeah, mainly because Ushijima’s the only top 3 ace playing today. If you want, you guys can sit with us!” He exclaims, removing the sports bags on the seats beside him. “We usually occupy the seats next to us since Sakusa doesn’t like it when people are too close, but I think he’ll be okay if it’s just you guys.” 

“Oh? He’s fine if it’s us?” Suna smirks, radiating smugness that makes Y/N want to throw him down the stairs. “Then how could we refuse? Thanks Komori.” 

“Sorry for the intrusion…” She mumbles sitting down next to Komori as Suna sits beside her. “How’s the match so far?” 

“Ehh just the usual.” Komori shrugs, turning his eyes back to the match as Semi comes on court to serve. “They’re playing really well as always, Ushijima’s in good shape, and so’s the Guess Monster guy? He’s been getting lots of blocks. Other than that, nothing really noteworthy.” 

“Wakatoshi-kun’s been playing well as always, their opponents still have some issues with his spikes.” Sakusa adds. 

“Is that so?” Suna muses. “I’d love to stuff him again, the look on his coach’s face is priceless every time.” 

“Your reasonin’ is honourable, as always.” Y/N deadpans. 

“Says the one who literally targeted their setter and first year with mind games to unlock their insecurities.” 

“It was for benefit of the team, I have no selfish reasons.” Y/N smiles innocently. “Besides, Shirabu-kun and first year kid’s over it. They’re fineee.” 

“Shirabu-kun huh? It was Shirabu- _san_ before… What have you been up to?” Suna asks as he squints at her interest. 

“Rintarou, stop lookin’ into everythin’ I do so carefully. It’s not that deep bro.” Y/N rolls her eyes, pushing him away as she turns her attention back to the match. 

“You guys are so funny.” Komori laughs. “Must be heaps of fun hanging out with your team.” 

“Oh yeah, it’s the best.” She and Suna deadpan in unison. “Loads of fun, no chaos whatsoever.” 

Komori snickers again as he turns back to the match. Shiratorizawa just won the first set and are currently switching sides with their opponents. 

“Yo, some members from Itachiyama and Inarizaki are watching our game.” Semi says, pointing to the audience as they switch sides. 

“Hm? Ah, I see them.” Shirabu shrugs. 

“Hmm? Where? Where? Ohh I see them too!” Tendou exclaims in excitement. “It’s Bendy Boy 1, and Bendy Boy 2, and Pickled Radish Eyebrows, and Y/N-chan!” 

The Shiratorizawa team sweat drops at this. 

“…Your nicknames are… special?” 

“Thanks Semi-semi!” Tendou laughs. “Anyway… Y/N-chan!!!” He yells, grinning widely as he waves at her. 

“Y/N-chan!!!” 

Y/N flinches as Tendou calls her name, wanting to simultaneously disappear and respond at the same time. Turns out, she doesn’t need to decide how she wants to respond, because Suna will respond for her. 

_‘I. Will. Break. Your. Neck. On. Court.’_ Suna mimes, glaring heatedly at Tendou with every movement. 

Tendou almost flips him off in retaliation, but thankfully Semi’s there to stop him before he does anything rash on camera. 

“Are you serious?” Y/N sighs, facepalming at the interaction. “Rintarou, he’s a senpai.” 

“So? I don’t think _Gesu Mister_ cares much for formalities.” 

“ _Gesu Mister_ oh my gosh-” Komori snorts, covering his mouth as he starts snickering. “Did you hear that Sakusa? _Gesu Mister_ I-” 

Komori laughs hysterically as Sakusa stares at him in concern and discomfort. “…Yes, I heard.” 

“At least someone appreciates my humour.” Suna says, pointedly looking at Y/N who rolls her eyes. “Anyway, looks like it’s Netflix Rock Lee’s serve.” 

“ _Oh my gosh Netflix Rock Lee_ -” Komori wheezes, clutching his stomach as he laughs. “I really like you, Suna! Let’s exchange numbers after!” 

“Um… Okay.” 

Y/N sighs begrudgingly. “Alright… that one was pretty good.” 

“Oh? Praise? From Y/N? I better message this to Atsumu.” Suna says, taking out his phone to message him. Y/N instantly snatches it out of his hands. 

“Coach Kurosu told me to make sure you don’t use your phone.” She deadpans, putting his phone in her pocket has he visibly deflates. 

“My… phone…” 

She rolls her eyes as she pats him on the shoulder. “You’ll live. But if you wanna tell Atsumu that badly…” 

Y/N takes out her phone and instantly starts dialling Atsumu’s number, waiting for him to pick up. 

_“Wha-”_

“Rintarou said a funny joke. I laughed.” She states matter-of-factly and instantly hangs up. “There. Satisfied?” 

“Nope, because I know no one filmed it.” 

“You’re never satisfied…” 

“I’ve never been satisfied…” He mutters wistfully. 

Y/N stares at him, unimpressed. “…Sometimes, I miss the times when you were quiet and shy around me.” She mutters. 

“Did we come here to fight, or to watch the match?” 

“ _Oh right the match oops._ ” She sheepishly turns her attention back to Shiratorizawa’s match, pouting when Komori and Suna start snickering at her. “…I sat next to the wrong people.” 

“I agree.” Suna says instantly, smiling innocently. “I think you should swap seats with Ko-” 

Y/N harshly jabs him in the side before he can finish his sentence. “Haha look at that! Shirabu-kun just pulled off a really good dump! He’s so cool, let’s focus on that.” 

“Oh he did? Damn, I missed it.” Komori says, turning back to the match as well. “Did you see it, Sakusa?” 

“I did.” 

“Oh well, looks like Shiratorizawa’s going to win soon anyway, find anything noteworthy, L/N-chan?” 

Y/N shrugs. “In terms of playstyle, there’s not much to say about Shiratorizawa to be honest, they’re a simple team that relies on brute force and strength. Obviously the most noteworthy people are Ushijima-senpai and Tendou-senpai since they get the most points, but personally, I think Kawanishi-kun, number 12, is really great too.” 

“Ohh the second year blocker.” Suna muses. “Yeah he’s pretty good I guess, he’s unpredictable to an extent, and good at adapting when he wants to. But I’m better.” 

“You’re also more modest.” Y/N adds. 

“That’s true.” 

“What do you think, Komori-kun?” Y/N asks. 

“Hm? Ehh pretty much what you already said, their Libero’s good too, but yeah.” He shrugs. “I looked at the brackets, and we’re at opposite ends to you and Shiratorizawa, so we’re definitely not versing both of you.” 

“Mm, you’ll probably be versing us or Mujinazaka in finals, depends on who makes it to finals I guess.” Suna shrugs. “Atsumu’s dead-set on beating Mujinazaka, we didn’t verse them last time so he’s really keen. What’a keen bean.” 

“We’re gonna needa beat Shiratorizawa in Quarterfinals first.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “As long as we both get there that is, don’t just assume we’re gonna get all the way to finals.” 

“I’m not. I’m just stating the most likely outcome.” Suna states. “Anyway, looks like it’s Ushijima’s serve now, how much do you want to bet he’s going to get service aces until they win?” 

“There’s only two points left so…” Y/N mutters, mentally calculating the probability and stability of Ushijima’s serve. “Alright, I bet they’ll win on his serve, buy me some local cherries if he does?” 

“Sure, but if he doesn’t, I get a favour that I can cash in at any time.” 

“How about cold hard cash instead?” 

“Do you need to negotiate every time we make a bet?” Suna deadpans. “Argh fine, you’ll somehow find a way to trick me into agreeing anyway.” 

“Ushijima-san, nice serve!” 

Ushijima bounces the ball a few times in preparation for his serve, paying no mind to the cheering fans and cameras around him. 

Tossing the ball in the air, he serves. 

_BAM!_

The ball shoots to the other side of the court with amazing speed and power, taking their opponents off-guard as it bounces off the Libero’s out-stretched arms and out of bounds. 

“Nice serve!” 

“Amazing.” Sakusa mutters, gaining their attention as they look at him curiously. He glares at them. “What.” 

“Nothing.” They mumble, turning back to watch the game. It’s Shiratorizawa’s match point now. 

“Give us another nice serve!” 

Bouncing the ball a few times once again, Ushijima tosses the ball in the air to serve. 

_BAM!_

The ball hurtles towards the Libero again as he manages to get it up. 

“Ohh, the Libero got it.” Komori exclaims. 

“Yeah but it’s goin’ over the net.” Y/N says, watching closely as Ohira sends it to Shirabu. “He’s probably gonna toss to Ushijima-senpai again.” 

“Ushijima-san!” Shirabu calls as he tosses to Ushijima. Running up to spike the ball, Ushijima overpowers the blockers as his powerful spike blasts through their block. 

_FWEET!_ The referee blows the whistle to signify the end of the match, Shiratorizawa having won in straight sets. 

“Welp, Shiratorizawa won, as expected.” Suna shrugs. “I win though, he didn’t get two service aces sooo.” 

“Actually, I won.” Y/N smirks as she glances at him. “I said they’ll win on his serve, I didn’t say anythin’ ‘bout service aces.” 

“Wait-” Suna mentally replays their bet. “Dammit, how did you slip that in _again_? Maybe the art you excel in is actually scam art, you’d be a great scam artist.” 

“I’m not a scam artist, I’m honest.” She rolls her eyes. “You just need to pay attention to wording.” 

“You mean your misleading wording?” 

“Details, details.” She waves him off, turning to Komori and Sakusa who are watching their interaction curiously. “Anyway, we needa get back to our team, so I’ll see you two later?” 

“Yep, all good!” Komori smiles. “We’ll probably stay around for a bit, Sakusa wants to go talk to Ushijima.” 

“Ahh I see.” Y/N nods, standing up to leave with Suna. She hands him back his phone, making his eyes sparkle as he happily takes it back. “Have fun then, bye Komori-kun, Sakusa-san.” 

“See you later!” Komori waves cheerfully as Sakusa just nods blankly. 

Y/N sighs as she walks away with Suna. Once they’re finally out of sight, she turns to Suna with dead eyes. “Alright let it out, say whatever you wanna say before we get back.” 

“I don’t have anything to say necessarily.” Suna smirks. “But I still think something’s going to happen~” 

“Keep dreaming.” She rolls her eyes in exasperation. He’s like a nosy family member, constantly trying to set her up with someone. 

“This is an incredibly realistic dream then, my OTP breathing the same air? Looking at each other? Today’s a glorious day.” Suna chuckles. “He’s your type, right?” 

“Rintarou, I don’t have a type.” 

“That means… it’s free real estate.” He smirks. She rolls her eyes as she pushes him away, smiling at his antics. 

“You’re so annoyin’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
> We've finally reached the new arc :) And now... things will start coming together... _huehuehue..._
> 
> I was so excited while writing this chapter XD I've been planning all of Interhigh for sooo long and I'm legit so ecstatic that we're here now OuO heaps of stuff will be happening in Interhigh, and there'll be even _more_ stuff happening after~ 
> 
> Thankyou so much for waiting and reading until now~ I said this was going to be a slow-burn but I don't think some people really realised how slow of a slow-burn this fic is going to be XD Even now, we're only about 8% through everything I've planned :) 
> 
> I was also lowkey overwhelmed because so many teams were appearing everywhere XD Since it _is_ Interhigh XD and even more teams will be coming in the next few chapters~ =w= I hope you'll look forward to it! :D
> 
> Anyways~ as promised, I have drawn soft boy Sakusa =w=  
> 
> 
> Hehe~ I hope you like it! OuO Just a gift from me to you~  
> Imagine Sakusa softly smiling at his phone when he gets a message from you ;-; Omg I'd die ;-; He's so cute ;-;
> 
> I animated the snowfall by the way XD So if you want to see that, you can check it out on my Instagram and Twitter~ =w=
> 
> I'm really excited for everything to come~ Thanks for reading! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	20. Reprise

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 2 – Second Round_

“Aran!” “MIYA-SENPAI!!” “Suna!!!” “Gin!” “Atsumu!!” 

The huge crowd of Inarizaki fans squeal with excitement as Inarizaki steps onto the court for their first game, waving around their fansigns excitedly as they cheer. Y/N watches the team from the bench with Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi, smiling proudly at their confidence. It’s her third time coming to nationals, but the excitement always stays. 

Cameras, fans, players; Inarizaki has all eyes on them. They’re the favourites to win, the Strongest Challengers. 

“Miya Atsumu! Can we ask you a few questions??” 

“Ojiro Aran! Congratulations on your win! Would you be able to speak with us??” 

Suna and Osamu watch boredly as the interviewers and cameras swarm around Atsumu and Ojiro, thankful that they’re not in their position. 

“Those two are as popular as always.” Y/N observes, scoffing when some people ask for pictures with Atsumu. 

“Couldn’t be me.” Suna mutters, rolling his eyes as he takes out his phone. 

“Excuse me! Suna Rintarou! Would you be okay with me asking you a few questions??” 

“Huh?” Suna stares dumbfounded at the interviewer who excitedly holds out her microphone to him. “I uhh…” 

He frantically glances at Y/N and Osamu, who helpfully smirk at him and give him thumbs up, internally laughing at his discomfort. They wave him off as they continue smirking smugly. 

“Uhh… sure…” He mutters, scowling at them as he turns back to the interviewer. 

“Looks like Suna’s catchin’ a few eyes.” Ginjima comments as he joins them. “‘Bout time too, I’m surprised he wasn’t more popular last year.” 

“Yeah, I kinda predicted this though. I ordered more Suna fansigns to sell in our merch store and they’re selling pretty well. Maybe I should post more of his pictures on our official accounts? We could market him more…” Y/N trails off, mentally calculating more ways to make bigger profits. Osamu and Ginjima sweat drop at this. 

“…You scare me sometimes, N/N.” 

“Whatever. I think those girls over there wanna get a picture with you, don’t let your fans down~” 

* * *

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 3 – Third Round & Quarterfinals _

Y/N facepalms at the scene in front of her, she should have known. Ginjima sheepishly scratches the back of his head as he nervously chuckles, waving at her as she enters their room. 

“…How long have they been wrestling for?” 

“…20 minutes or somethin’.” He mutters tiredly, sighing as he turns to watch the twins continue to wrestle over a pair of shorts. 

“It’s mine ‘Tsumu! Stop tryna steal my clothes!” 

“But I look better in it! I’m just gonna borrow it!” 

“That’s what you’re meant to say after you’ve returned it first!” 

Suna remains sound asleep in his bed as the twins continue fighting, yelling at each other as Y/N and Ginjima sweat drop at the spectacle. 

“Why are they even fightin’ over the shorts?” Y/N asks. 

“Atsumu was gonna go for a jog this mornin’, Osamu was gonna go with him but… I think you can guess the rest.” Ginjima sighs, running a hand over his face. 

Taking out her phone to check the time, Y/N shrugs. “I don’t know how to tell them this but… they don’t have time to go for a jog anymore.” 

Ginjima sighs again, opening his mouth to try telling them off, but he gets interrupted. 

“What’s goin’ on here?” 

Everyone freezes in place as Kita’s voice cuts in, Y/N and Ginjima warily glance at him as they slowly back away, letting him have a clear view of the twins as they point at them. The twins sweat under his cold gaze and frantically glance at each other, robotically standing up straight after a few moments. 

“Kita-san…” Atsumu starts sheepishly. “I was just returnin’ ‘Samu’s shorts…” 

Osamu nods as he avoids eye contact, not wanting to get involved. 

“Is that so? Then why are you still holdin’ them?” 

“O-oh, right.” Atsumu stutters, flinging the shorts into Osamu’s face. It takes all of Osamu’s will power to stop himself from strangling Atsumu right then and there, but he knows he shouldn’t murder in front of Kita. 

Kita pointedly looks at Osamu, his cold and judgemental gaze making him anxious. 

“…Thanks ‘Tsumu…” He mutters, inwardly groaning as he shoots a glare at Y/N, she smirks in amusement. 

Kita turns to Y/N, instantly wiping the smirk off her face as she maintains a neutral expression. “Why isn’t Suna awake yet?” 

“I was gonna wake him up, but when I came in the twins were…” The twins frantically gesture for her to shut up, Atsumu shaking his head vigorously as he makes pleading motions. “…They were returnin’ each other's clothes… I’m gonna wake him up now though.” 

“I see. Please do so quickly, we don’t want to be late.” 

“Yes, Kita-senpai.” 

_“And Miya Atsumu scores another service ace! Winning the game with Shiobara Tech in straight sets! Inarizaki advances to the Quarterfinals!”_

_“It seems like Inarizaki’s one of the favourites to win this Interhigh, this is their third consecutive attendance, and they won third place at both the previous Interhigh and Spring High!”_

_“That’s right! Not to mention, their second year Setter ‘Miya Atsumu’ has certainly caught many eyes, having been invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp last year. He is certainly in the running for the Best High School Setter Award.”_

_“Not to mention the Best High School Server Award! He’s been consistently racking up service ace after service ace! The other schools should look out for Miya Atsumu!”_

“Seems like you’re as popular as always.” Y/N exclaims, observing his carefree smile. “You seem happy.” 

“Of course I am, N/N~” Atsumu chuckles, picking up his bag as they start heading out. “It’s nice when your hard work starts gettin’ recognition.” 

“Yeah that’s great and all.” Suna cuts in, squeezing in between the two of them as he drags his feet, slouching tiredly. “But honestly, I don’t really care right now. I’m just suffering.” 

“And how’s that any different from normal?” Osamu mutters, rolling his eyes. 

“It’s different because I’m already suffering, and I’m just going to keep suffering even more throughout the day.” Suna groans, shoving his bags into Atsumu’s arms as he sighs, glaring at the floor. “It’s Day 3 Hell.” 

“You’re so overdramatic.” Y/N mutters. 

“No I’m not, why don’t _you_ try playing two whole games in one day, huh?” 

“That’s not in my job description.” 

Their bickering gets cut short when they arrive at their intended destination, hearing the booming cheers. 

“Shiratorizawa! Shiratorizawa!” 

Atsumu skips ahead as he tries to get a better view. “Who’s winnin’ ‘Samu? Who’s winnin’? What’s the score?” 

“Why don’t you use your eyes for once? Or do you not know how to read?” Osamu rolls his eyes as he joins him. “The scoreboard is literally right there.” 

The Inarizaki team observes the ongoing match in front of them, the winner will determine their opponents for Quarterfinals. From the looks of it, Shiratorizawa’s going to win against Ohya Tech High in straight sets. 

“Ushijima’s playin’ well.” Atsumu observes, shrugging in disinterest as he sits down. “Am I the only one that’s kinda bored every time I watch Shiratorizawa play?” 

“You’re not, but I suspect we have different reasons for boredom.” Suna deadpans, begrudgingly taking a seat as he watches Tendou get another Block Kill. 

“It’s kinda just the same thing over and over when you watch ‘em, y’know? Like, just Ushijima scorin’ with the occasional others. It’s boringggg!” He whines childishly. “Why can’t they do complex plays for once? Or do some combo moves? Their players are skilled enough, they can pull it off.” 

“Oh? Trashy ‘Tsumu acknowledgin’ his opponents?” Osamu questions. 

“Argh, I ain’t! I said they’re boring didn’t I??” 

“Yeah, but then you admitted that they’re skilled.” Suna points out. 

“That probably makes it onto the very short list of ‘Nicest Things Atsumu’s Ever Said.’” Ginjima mutters. 

“Oi, we’re here to watch the match. You guys are versin’ the winners y’know?” Y/N deadpans, sighing in exasperation. 

“Yeah yeah, we’re observin’.” Atsumu waves her off. “We already know we’re versin’ Shiratorizawa next though.” 

“Well well well~ It appears that our next opponents are right in front of us~” Tendou chimes, coming closer as he observes them. “How exciting~!” 

“Congratulations for winnin’ the third round! We’re lookin’ forward to playin’ ya.” Coach Kurosu exclaims, smiling as he shakes Coach Washijou’s hand. 

“Yes, we are looking forward to it as well. It won’t be like last time.” Coach Washijou responds. 

“Would be pretty disappointin’ for ya if it was just a repeat of last time, wouldn’t it?” Atsumu mocks, walking up to Shirabu who glares at him, not saying a word. “Aww why aren’tcha respondin’ Kenjirou-kun?” 

“Atsumu, leave Shirabu-kun alone.” Y/N signs, pulling him back. “I’m so sorry ‘bout him…” 

“Why are we always apologisin’ for ‘Tsumu bein’ a jerk?” Osamu mutters under his breath, glaring in distain at his brother. 

“The real question is, why do we put up with him? I think we’d be partaking in environmental clean up if we got rid of him…” Suna trails off. 

“Hahaha~ You’re so funny _Bendy Boy_ ~” Tendou laughs, smiling down on Suna in attempts to intimidate him. “We’re gonna crush you in Quarterfinals.” 

Suna just shrugs boredly. “We’ll see.” 

“Rude as always.” Tendou shakes his head, tut-tutting in disapproval. “Don’t know why Y/N-chan puts up with you rude foxes~ You should’ve gone to Shiratorizawa!” 

Y/N chuckles at this, rolling her eyes. “I think I’d rather not take a plane every mornin’ just to get to and from school.” 

“We’re a boarding school, Y/N-chan~ No need for transport.” 

“Oh boy, a school where I don’t have to see the twins or my family? Where do I sign up?” 

“Whoa whoa, hold it right there _Gesu Mister_.” Suna scowls, stepping between them as he crosses his arms. “Don’t go trying to steal our manager, you hear me? She’s not going to Shiratorizawa, scumbag.” 

“Rintarou, he was just jokin-” 

“If she’s going to transfer anywhere, she’s going to transfer to Itachiyama.” He continues, pushing her away from Tendou as he maintains eye contact. 

“What.” Y/N deadpans, facepalming.

Inoue hides behind Kagawa as she nervously glances around at the players, fearing for her life as they continue berating each other. Kagawa just chuckles, patting her back as she smiles encouragingly. “Don’t be so scared, this is just the routinely trash talk that takes place before the match.” 

“It’s almost like trash talkin’ is part of the sport now.” Y/N mutters, sighing as she joins them, not wanting to be associated with the boys. “Maybe they should open up a new division, everyone that leaves the court in tears loses.” 

“Well, a lot of people cry when they lose so… technically that division already exists.” Kagawa shrugs. “By the way, how was analysin’ the matches last night? What games didja watch?” 

“Just the usual, Shiratorizawa since I knew we’d most likely be versin’ them today, and Mujinazaka and Itachiyama’s games since they’re the ones we needa look out for the most. But I’m plannin’ on getting Kamomedai’s recordings, I hear that they’re doin’ exceptionally well lately…” 

“Damn, you never catch a break, d’ya?” Kagawa breathes out in exasperation. “Y’know, we could analyse them together if you wanna… I wouldn’t mind helpin’ you, y’know?” 

Y/N smiles at this. “Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.” 

“Atsumu, I’d _strongly_ advise you to take a nap right now…” Y/N mutters, eyeing him carefully as he waves her off. 

“N/N, I’m fine. Just because almost everyone else is nappin’, doesn’t mean I needa as well.” 

“Atsumu… you’re the only regular who isn’t takin’ a nap right now, I seriously think you should… Don’t you wanna replenish your energy before the Shiratorizawa match?” 

“I already said I’m fine.” He rolls his eyes. “I ain’t tired right now anyways. Plus, you’re plannin’ on lookin’ around right? I’ll go with you~” 

Y/N sighs in exasperation, glancing at Osamu, Suna and Ginjima as they nap in their seats. “Argh whatever, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Let’s go!” He cheers, dragging her along as he looks around the stadium. 

“You can stop draggin’ me, y’know.” She scowls, pulling her arm away as he grins at her. 

“But we don’t have a lot of time! I wanna look around too y’know!” 

“Oh? And here I thought you just didn’t want me to be lonely.” 

“Well… that too?” 

“How convincing.” She rolls her eyes, continuing down the corridor as he matches her pace. “Well then, what d’ya wanna check out? The t-shirts? Food stalls? Anyone playin’ right now that you wanna watch?” 

“Hmm… most of the schools I’m interested in aren’t playin’ at the moment, so how about we check out the volleyball merch first?” Atsumu suggests, ignoring the surrounding people that gape at them in awe as they pass by. 

Y/N shrugs at this, also ignoring them. “Sure, why not.” 

Usually Y/N would be feeling anxious under the constant stares and judgement, but when she’s with her closest friends, she feels safe. 

“Found anythin’ you want?” 

“Nah, I’m just window shoppin’ to be honest.” Atsumu says, still looking around. “Nothin’ I really wanna buy so yeah, what ‘bout you?” 

“Eh, nothin’ much either. We still have time to kill so… D’ya wanna just walk around and talk?” 

“Sounds borin’, sure.” He shrugs, leaving the t-shirt store with her. 

“Y’know there’s not much to do if you’re not watchin’ a match, you should’ve just stayed back and napped.” Y/N scolds, rolling her eyes at his stubbornness. 

“But then you’d be lonely~” 

“I’m startin’ to think bein’ lonely is way better than bein’ with you.” 

“Oi! Rude! I’m just makin’ sure that no random dudes come to bother you-” 

“Miya Atsumu.” A booming voice stops them in their tracks as they turn around. Ushijima stands behind them with Semi, who waves at them casually. “I look forward to our match.” 

“Same.” Atsumu shrugs, not really caring until Y/N jabs him in the side. “I mean I’m lookin’ forward to it too!” 

Y/N sighs at his rudeness before smiling at the two third years. “I know Coach said it before, but congratulations for makin’ it to Quarterfinals, bein’ a top 8 school’s not an easy feat.” 

“I think you’re forgetting that your team also made it to Quarterfinals.” Semi laughs. “Congratulations to you too, by the way. Wakatoshi might not look like it, but he’s really excited for our match.” 

“Of course he-” 

“We’re honoured.” Y/N instantly cuts Atsumu off before he can say something rude. “And-” 

“We don’t plan on losin’.” Atsumu declares, cutting her off as he smirks competitively. “So you better give it yer all.” 

Ushijima stares back at him. “We do not plan on losing either.” 

Y/N and Semi mentally facepalm at their competitiveness, sighing as they grab their arms and try dragging them away. 

“I’ll see you at the match, Miya, L/N.” Semi calls, smiling sheepishly as he tries dragging Ushijima away. 

“You too Ushijima-senpai, Semipa- Semi…senpai…” She trails off, glaring at Atsumu as he starts snickering. “Shut up, it’s a tongue twister.” 

“Then just don’t call him ‘senpai’, ‘san’ is fine y’know.” 

“Unlike some people, I like to be as polite as possible.” 

“Hmm… I wonder about that sometimes.” Atsumu mutters. 

“What?” 

“Like, I get that you’re polite and all, but sometimes I think you’re _too_ polite, y’know? It really puts distance between you and whoever you’re talkin’ too.” 

“Huh, I guess? Anyway, Itachiyama made it to Quarterfinals, they’re versin’ Fukurodani around the same time we’re versin’ Shiratorizawa.” Y/N says, taking out the booklet as she points to their bracket. “They’re playin’ a little after us, so we can probably watch the end of their match.” 

“Ohh nice nice, that’d be a good game to watch. You were watchin’ Itachiyama’s first match last night, right?” Atsumu asks, looking at her curiously as they keep walking. 

“Yeah I was, kinda sad I didn’t get to watch it in person if I’m gonna be honest. Sakusa-san’s serves near the end were so good…” 

Atsumu scoffs at this. “My serves are better.” 

“You’re so childish…” She mutters, rolling her eyes at him. 

Just as Atsumu’s about to respond, he halts in his steps as he looks around, recognising the area. Sighing as he facepalms, he turns to look at Y/N, who has the audacity to smile at him innocently. 

“N/N… Why are we at the food court?” 

“What?? I’m hungry!” 

“And?” 

“And what?” 

“…What do you want from me?” 

“Why d’ya assume I want somethin’ from you?” She gasps dramatically as she fakes being hurt. “You think I’d take advantage of you? Just ‘coz I saved you from Kita-senpai earlier today??” 

Atsumu stares at her, completely unimpressed as she continues smiling innocently at him. He groans as he runs his hand through his hair, taking his wallet out reluctantly. “…I’ll pay.” 

“Aww! Thanks Umu-chan~!” 

“ _Shuddup. Don’t call me that._ ” 

* * *

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 3 – Third Round & Quarterfinals _

_Quarterfinals: Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Match_

The crowd cheers in excitement as the Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa teams enter the court, chanting for their favourite team as they wave around their fansigns. 

Atsumu smirks as he looks at Shirabu and Goshiki tauntingly, making flashbacks of their previous practise match run through their minds as they scowl at him. They didn’t come here to lose. 

_“Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa enter the court! Representing their prefectures, Hyogo and Miyagi! This is a much anticipated match for the Quarterfinals, with Inarizaki being the third seed, and Shiratorizawa being a top 8 school! I’m sure many people are looking forward to how this match will play out!”_

_“Indeed! On Shiratorizawa’s side, they have their Ace and Captain, Ushijima Wakatoshi! Definitely a big name! He is an under 19 representative for Japan for the Youth World Championship! Certainly someone you would want to keep your eyes on! And on Inarizaki’s side, they have their Ace, Ojiro Aran! With amazing power and technique, he can certainly give Ushijima a run for his money!”_

“Commentators are annoyin’.” Y/N mutters under her breath as they keep talking, making Osamu roll his eyes as he prepares for warmups. 

“You find a lot of things annoyin’, you just don’t say it.” 

“Yeah, that’s ‘coz after dealing with your carbon copy, I don’t think I have the right to complain ‘bout anything.” She sighs, dragging the volleyball cart over so they can begin their official drills. 

“Understandable.” 

_Quarterfinals: Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

The cameras focus on the court as the fans wait in anticipation. It’s finally the moment they’ve been waiting for. 

_“Alright, the match between the Hyogo Prefecture representative, Inarizaki High School, and the Miyagi Prefecture representative, Shiratorizawa Academy, is about to begin!”_

The whistle blows to signal the start of the game as the crowd goes wild. 

“Let’s have a good game!” 

“I don’t really think I needa say much.” Coach Kurosu says, smiling at his team. “Let’s just get out there and win this game. We’ve beaten Shiratorizawa many times in the past, but don’t let that get to your heads, our previous victories have nothin’ to do with the game happenin’ right now. So go out there and show them who Inarizaki is.” 

“Alright!” 

Atsumu takes six steps from the end line as the Inarizaki band blasts their theme song, hyping up the crowd. 

The referee blows his whistle as he signals for Atsumu’s serve. 

Slowly raising his fist in the air, Atsumu keeps his eyes trained to the ground as he silences the stadium. Everyone holds their breath in anticipation. 

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu throws the volleyball into the air as he runs up for his spike serve, slamming his hand into it as it smashes between Goshiki and Shirabu. 

The two Shiratorizawa members stare in shock as the ball bounces away. 

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

_FWEET!_ The crowd roars with excitement as they cheer for Inarizaki. 

“Nice serve!” “ATSUMU!!!” 

Atsumu smirks as he prepares for his second serve, silencing the crowd once again. 

The Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa match has just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _DUN DUN. DUN DUN DUN._ SHIIIIIIRATORIZAWA! _DUN DUN. DUN DUN DUN._ SHIIIIIIIIRATORIZAWA!
> 
> Oh boy oh boy OuO Inarizaki VS Shiratorizawa match next chapter OuO Hehehe I'm so excited~ :D Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa are actually my favourite teams XD I don't know if you could notice but yeah XD My favourite team was actually Shiratorizawa but then I started writing this fic and... welp. I guess I just love my fox boys too much now :')) 
> 
> I actually haven't been feeling well for the past week :') Starting to feel the effects of burnout... which is really rare for me because I'm the kind that can work 13 hours a day on minimal sleep for extended periods of time and not feel exhausted :')) But recently I've just been burning out from overwork and neglection of health and I can feel the effects :')) I'm really trying to take care of myself better though, so don't worry about me~ =w= 
> 
> (Also, this fic is not the problem XD It actually gives me a lot of joy and strength so don't feel bad about anything! I really love writing this and I'm so grateful so many of you enjoy it~ =w= I'm burntout because of the endless tasks I give myself, but ironically the only way for me to pick myself up out of burnout is to give myself even _more_ tasks XD so welp)
> 
> Anywayyyy I was legit so happy when they finally released Sakusa's character profile! OuO He finally has a birthday omg 😭😭 He's so gorgeous, so tall, so amazing... I love him so much ;-; and the fact that his favourite food is pickled plums omg 😭 What a grandma 😭 XDD
> 
> Did I seriously sketch myself next to him the moment his character sheet was released??
> 
> Ya. Oh and Atsumu's there too I guess ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I wasn't going to draw my beauty spots or freckles, but Sakusa's got his beauty spots drawn sooo I decided to draw mine as well XD I have two beauty spots side-by-side on my left cheek just like Sakusa's forehead O3O and I've got the same two marks on my right arm O3O What does this mean?
> 
> We're soulmates obviously, it's Soulmate AU. Sorry guys, Sakusa's destined to be with me =w=
> 
> He's also born on the transition between Pisces and Aries, while I'm born on the transition between Scorpio and Sagittarius. In conclusion; we are soulmates. There's literally no other explanation. 
> 
> Also, yes the heights are accurate XD I calculated XD Just be aware that they're not standing up straight, they're both slouching with their legs apart so ya. Sakusa's hips are literally at my waist, maybe even a bit higher :') I only make it up to his shoulders... He's so tall :')))
> 
> So ya! Thankyou for reading this chapter! OuO I hope you liked it~ It's more of a buildup to the next few chapters so yeah XD Please look forward to the next ones~ =w=
> 
> ~~~  
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	21. Turn it Around

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 3 – Third Round & Quarterfinals _

_Quarterfinals: Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [26 – 27] Shiratorizawa_

Atsumu pants lightly as he glares at Shiratorizawa’s side. Usually it would take a while for Ushijima’s engine to get warmed up, but from the looks of it, he’s already performing exceptionally well. It’s most likely due to the left-over adrenaline from the third round. 

_“And Ushijima scores again! Gaining Shiratorizawa the lead in the first set! Will Inarizaki lose the first set right here? Or will they be able to turn it around and build momentum before Shiratorizawa can snatch the first set?”_

_“I don’t think Shiratorizawa wants to let them have that chance! They’re subbing in their third year Pinch Server, Semi Eita.”_

“Nice serve.” Kawanishi mumbles as he steps off the court. Semi takes a deep breath as he focuses his attention onto Inarizaki. 

_‘Right now, we have the lead.’_ He thinks as he bounces the ball a few times. _‘The fact that Coach subbed me in so early, shows that he’s counting on me to not mess up. I need to score right now.’_

The referee blows the whistle as he takes another deep breath, tossing the ball into the air as he jumps and serves. 

“Gin!” 

Ginjima dives for the ball as he barely gets it up, accidentally sending it over to Shiratorizawa’s side. 

“Soz’!” “Chance ball!” 

“Semi-san!” Shirabu easily passes it to Semi as he jumps to set the ball. 

“Wakatoshi!” He calls, sending a high toss to Ushijima as he jumps up to spike. Predicting this, Ojiro, Osamu and Suna run up to block the cross spike, letting Akagi handle the straight. 

_BAM!_

Ushijima hits the ball straight towards Akagi as he lines up for the receive, wincing from the force as it flings to the right. 

“Soz’!” 

“Got it!” Ginjima yells as he dives for it, successfully getting the ball up once again. It heads towards the net. 

“Hit it over, Osamu!” 

Osamu jumps to spike the ball as it comes towards him, seeing this, Tendou runs over to block it. 

_BAM!_

Hitting full force, Osamu’s spike bounces off of Tendou’s outstretched arm and gets caught in the net, tumbling down onto Shiratorizawa’s side. 

_Inarizaki [27 – 27] Shiratorizawa_

“Nice kill! Osamu!” 

Osamu turns around to high-five Ginjima as the Inarizaki cheer squad cheers for him. “Nice job gettin’ those up, Gin.” 

“Someone’s gotta be pickin’ up the slack for you guys.” He sighs, rotating into position for Suna’s serve. 

“Dammit…” Semi curses, gritting his teeth as he begrudgingly gets off the court. _‘That could have been our chance to take the first set…!’_

Suna boredly watches the referee, waiting for the instant he blows the whistle. 

_FWEET!_ Instantly sending the ball over, Shirabu grits his teeth as he stumbles to receive the ball, not having enough time to switch with someone else. 

“Ohira-san!” “Alright!” 

“Wakatoshi!” Ohira calls as he sends the ball to Ushijima. Oomimi and Ojiro instantly position themselves to block him. 

_BAM!_

The ball hits Ojiro’s arm as it rockets towards the sideline. Suna extends his arms in attempts to get it up but it only hits his hand as it falls out-of-bounds. 

_Inarizaki [27 – 28] Shiratorizawa_

“Nice kill! Ushijima! Ushijima! Ushijima!” 

“I hate this song.” Atsumu declares, scowling at the Shiratorizawa cheer squad as they continue to cheer for Ushijima, a few of the fans flinch in fear as they avoid eye contact, intimidated by his glare. 

“Oi, stop that.” Ojiro rolls his eyes, smacking the back of his head. “They’re just doin’ their job.” 

“Hwugh-!” 

“Oh well, those fans are in for a treat.” Osamu shrugs. “Too bad Coach already used up all our timeouts, now would’ve been a good time to use it.” 

“Tch… we don’t need a timeout to stop him.” Atsumu mutters in distain, glaring over the net as Ushijima prepares for his serve. 

Y/N glances at Suna before turning her attention back to the court, then glances at him again before looking back at the court. Rolling his eyes at this, Suna sighs. 

“What… Are you going to give me a hard time because I couldn’t get that up?” 

“No, why would you think that?” Y/N mutters sarcastically. “To be honest, I’m more surprised that you actually tried to get it up. What happened to just lazily lettin’ it fall?” 

“Well… we’re not in the lead. So I can’t slack off yet.” Suna mutters. Overhearing the words ‘slack off’, Kita instantly glances at Suna, making him avert his eyes as he glares at Y/N. _‘You got me in trouble.’_ He mouths as he does his best to nonchalantly focus back on the game. 

“Ushijima-san nice serve!” Goshiki yells as Ushijima bounces the ball a few times, throwing the ball into the air as he jumps up to serve. 

_BAM!_

“Akagi!” Akagi swiftly moves into position to receive the powerful serve, managing to get it up. 

“Nice receive!” Atsumu cheers, smiling as he jumps up to set. “Aran!” 

Ojiro jumps up to spike the ball, only for Tendou to come in and block it. 

The ball falls onto Inarizaki’s side as Tendou smiles widely. 

“You thought Wakatoshi-kun was going to give you a hard time? Before you even get to him, you need to get through me~!” 

_Inarizaki [27 – 29] Shiratorizawa_

_“And Shiratorizawa takes the first set! What a major upset! It seems like a top 8 team has managed to snag the first set off of the third seed!”_

_“Well this is definitely unexpected, but not entirely surprising. It seems as though Shiratorizawa’s already playing amazingly! But they definitely can’t celebrate too soon, Inarizaki’s known for being a slow starter, I have a feeling that they’ll just get harder and harder to deal with!”_

“You got that right.” Y/N mutters, smirking as she nudges Suna. “I bet everyone in the stands is waitin’ for you to start rackin’ up all the points.” 

“No pressure.” He rolls his eyes, taking the water bottle that she holds out to him. 

“Man, I can’t believe we lost the first set.” Atsumu whines, taking the bottle that she gives him. “I was so sure that we’d keep winnin’ in straight sets! Argh, I can’t believe we lost our first set to Shiratorizawa!” 

“I believe it.” Ginjima mutters, taking a drink as he eyes the Shiratorizawa team. “Their coach looks… happy?” 

“Well, he’s not yellin’ at them so… I guess I’d count that as happy.” Osamu mutters. 

“We won the first set. Win the next one too.” Coach Washijou says bluntly as he looks up at his team, nodding at them as they agree. 

Tendou sighs as he takes a long drink of water. “We won the first set despite the odds, wouldn’t it be better for him to just say a simple ‘good job’?” 

“You’ve been on this team for longer than I have, I’d think you’d know Coach Washijou better by now, Tendou-san.” Shirabu mutters. 

“Honestly, I think I’d be scared rather than encouraged if Coach said, ‘good job’.” Semi says, crossing his arms as he scowls at the ground. “Plus, the second set’s always the hardest when you’re versing Inarizaki.” 

“Tell me about it~” Tendou whines, side eyeing the Inarizaki bench as he watches them. “They’re about to get real annoying.” 

Atsumu smirks at Goshiki as they move over to switch courts. “Oi, first year ball-cut kid, how’s it feel to be the least experienced person on the court?” 

Goshiki straightens up as he does his best to glare at Atsumu. “I-it doesn’t bother me at all! We will win the second set too!” 

“Ha, bold words.” Atsumu mutters, turning away as he heads over to his side of the court, leaving Goshiki behind to prepare for his serve. 

* * *

_Quarterfinals: Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

Inoue gulps uneasily as she watches the match up in the stands, nervously shifting in her seat beside Kagawa. Sensing her discomfort, Kagawa looks over to her questioningly. 

“What’s wrong, Chika-chan?” She asks. 

“It’s nothin’…” She mumbles sheepishly. “Just nervous ‘coz Shiratorizawa won the first set…” 

“Haha, there’s nothin’ to be nervous about~” Kagawa chuckles, patting her back. “You heard the commentators, we’re known for bein’ slow starters. The game isn’t over, so there’s no point worryin’, no one’s won yet.” 

“Sakusa! We need to get back to the team soon to prepare our match, I know you want to watch but just get the recording after!” Komori complains quietly, nervously glancing around to make sure he isn’t bothering anyone. 

“I know, I just want to see the start of the second set.” Sakusa states, eyes not leaving the court. Komori sighs in defeat as he begrudgingly stays. 

_FWEET!_ The referee signals for Goshiki serve. 

Tossing the ball in the air, Goshiki sends a strong jump serve directly to Ojiro, who manages to land a solid receive. 

“Alright!” Atsumu calls out, jumping to set the ball. But instead of setting the ball to someone, he opts for something else. 

Atsumu dumps the ball. 

“Aksjdhaskjdh-!” Tendou lets out an incomprehensible screech as he grabs his head in shock. Ohira tries to dive for the ball, but the shock causes him to lag behind. 

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

“Pfft- haha!” Akagi snorts, covering his mouth to stop himself from laughing too much. Everyone else shakes their head in disbelief, facepalming. 

“That’s such a jerk move.” Osamu mutters, rolling his eyes and turning away, not wanting Atsumu to see his smile. 

“Damn, that was pretty good though.” Suna smirks as Ginjima rolls his eyes and sighs. 

“Leave it to Atsumu to try a setter’s dump at the beginnin’ of the set.” Coach Kurosu mutters, chuckling. 

“Pfft- hahaha!” Y/N laughs. “Man, he’s such a jerk.” 

“Is that how you’re gonna compliment him?” Coach Oomi deadpans. 

“Well, I’m never gonna tell him he’s good.” She chuckles, smiling as she tries to refocus on the match in front of her. “Not to his face at least.” 

“Okay, we saw the start of the second set, let’s go now Sakusa!” Komori whispers, nervously checking his phone for the time over and over again. 

“…Fine.” Sakusa mutters, slowly standing up as his eyes remains focused on the court. Komori sighs in relief as he quickly picks up his bag, preparing to leave. Begrudgingly turning around to leave with Komori, Sakusa glances back at the court briefly before leaving. He’ll just have to watch the tape later. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 17] Shiratorizawa_

_“And Inarizaki breaks into the 20s! Maintaining a small lead against Shiratorizawa!”_

_“It seems like their Middle Blocker, Suna Rintarou, is really starting to rack up the points! Shiratorizawa calls their first timeout to try and physically put a stop to the momentum Inarizaki’s gained!”_

“Yer playin’ really well, Suna, keep it up.” Ojiro encourages as he pats him on the back, making his body flop slightly forward from the force. 

“Uh, thanks.” 

“Good job avoidin’ their number 12’s blocks, Suna, he still hasn’t been able to block you properly, it’s probably weighin’ down on him mentally right now.” Coach Kurosu says. 

“I know right, Kawanishi-kun’s a good blocker, but he hesitates a lot, so he’s probably really insecure.” Y/N adds. “Rintarou’s an amazin’ blocker though, him scorin’ so many points and consistently gettin’ one-touches is probably really intimidatin’ up close. I expect Kawanishi-kun to start makin’ more mistakes soon.” 

“That’s true, we’ll just keep goin’ the way we’re goin’, we’ll adapt if we need to.” Coach Kurosu concludes. 

“Right!” 

“And Aran-senpai.” Y/N calls, smiling at him. “Be sure to blast through those blocks, like you always do.” 

He chuckles. “I sure will.” 

“I’ll give ya great sets, so just hit ‘em with no worries.” Atsumu says, giving him thumbs up as their timeout ends and they walk back onto the court. 

“Let’s do this!” 

Y/N sighs. “Poor guy, Kawanishi-kun’s at the net when Rintarou’s at the net, _and_ when Aran-senpai’s at the net, he never gets a break, must be tough.” 

“That’s true, I think their number 5 has a better chance at blockin’ ‘em to be honest, but he’s only got one rotation with Suna up front.” Coach Kurosu comments as he watches the ongoing match. 

“Yeah, Tendou-senpai definitely has a better chance at stoppin’ Rintarou, but even if they did a full rotation, I doubt he can stop him very much. They might change their positions for the third set but I don't think it'd do much.” 

“That’s true, I don’t think Shiratorizawa would chance rotations though, they’re a team that always sticks to what they do no matter what.” 

“Ehh, I guess.” Y/N shrugs in disinterest. “But y’know… about Rintarou…” 

“Hm?” Coach Kurosu looks over to her questioningly. “He’s performin’ better than usual yeah?” 

“Yeah… I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this but, I think he’s gettin’ fired up.” 

_Inarizaki [23 – 19] Shiratorizawa_

Suna smirks at Kawanishi as he successfully blocks his one-person-time-difference-attack. “Didn’t you learn your lesson last time? When I said it would have fooled some blockers, I meant someone that wasn’t me.” 

Kawanishi grits his teeth as he turns away, not wanting to engage in a verbal spar with Suna. He turns to Shirabu and apologises. “Sorry, I’ll get it next time.” 

“Don’t mind, Taichi.” Shirabu says, high fiving him before he turns to glare at Suna. 

“You and ‘Tsumu are so good at gettin’ people to hate you.” Osamu mutters, high fiving Suna. “Guess it’s Gin’s and my duty to be good people to balance it out.” 

“Oi, don’t drag me into this.” Ginjima scowls, glancing behind himself as Atsumu prepares for his second serve. 

Atsumu blankly looks at the volleyball in his hands, before taking four steps away from the end-line. 

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu clenches his fist as he silences the stadium, tossing the ball into the air for his serve. 

_BAM!_

Atsumu hits a float serve that heads straight towards Yamagata before he can fully put his arms up for an overhand receive. It slips through his fingers as he’s taken by surprise. 

_‘That flashed before my eyes in a split second-!’_

_Inarizaki [24 – 19] Shiratorizawa_

_“ANOTHER SERVICE ACE!!”_ The commentator cheers as the Inarizaki band blasts their tune, blending in with the screams of their supporters. Atsumu pays them no mind as he continues to stare down Shiratorizawa. 

_“That’s some skillful command over two distinct types of serves, Miya Atsumu!!”_

_“It seems like Miya Atsumu has been mastering the jump floater since the last Spring High! I don’t think we’ve seen him use this serve in the previous tournaments!”_

_“That’s true! And oh my what a service ace! The strength of a serve directly ties into the overall strength of the team, you know? And now that Inarizaki’s on set point, it’s not looking too good for Shiratorizawa at the moment!”_

“Alright, no need to panic. The set isn’t over, let’s win the next point.” Ohira encourages as he smiles and claps his hands. “We’ve been against many strong servers in the past, there’s no need to be worried.” 

“Right!” 

“Hmm…” Atsumu looks over to the Shiratorizawa team as he calculates his next his next move. 

“Heyyy, ‘Samu, Gin.” 

“What’s up, ‘Tsumu.” 

“Don’t slack on the next move, got it?” 

“…” Osamu and Ginjima gaze in disgust at Atsumu before begrudgingly moving back into position, covering the back of their heads for Atsumu’s serve. 

_‘4 steps.’_

Atsumu stands tall as the audience buzzes with excitement, silencing them with a single gesture once again. 

He tosses it into the air and hits a jump floater again, sending it near Shirabu. 

“Hnng-!” He barely gets into position for an overhand receive, managing to get it up. “Sorry! Cover!” 

“Kawanishi-san!” Goshiki calls as he passes it to him. 

“Ugh.” Taichi groans as he spikes it over, being forced to hit a straight as Osamu, Suna and Gin block the cross. 

“Got it!” Akagi calls as he receives it, easily sending it to Atsumu as he prepares to set. 

Osamu and Ginjima both begrudgingly run up for a quick attack, taking the Shiratorizawa team by surprise. 

_‘Double Quick…!’_

Taichi watches Atsumu carefully, waiting for the instant he sets the ball. Once he sees him set it to Ginjima, he quickly moves over to block him with Ohira. 

Ginjima goes for a feint. 

“That bastard-!” Yamagata groans as he dives for the ball, but he’s a little short. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 19] Shiratorizawa_

_“A strong serve combined with a Double Quick scores them the second set in the blink of an eye! Let’s hear it for Inarizaki High School!!”_

_“The first set ended in an upset, but Inarizaki takes back the second set!! The set count is even at 1-1!”_

“Even my ass, the momentum's all with Inarizaki now…” Semi groans and Tendou sighs from beside him. 

“Semi-semi~ no need to worry~ We’ll just need to win the next set~!” 

“Don’t call me ‘Semi-semi’!” 

“Whatever~!” Tendou sings, before dropping his cheerful expression and looking over to Inarizaki’s side. “I’m going to need to do something about that _Bendy Boy_ …” 

“DON’T YA DARE SLACK, ‘SAMU!” Atsumu yells as he points towards Osamu in accusation. 

“I wasn’t slackin’ though…” He mutters. 

“Liar! I could see it from a mile away! You were all like _“Well I’m gonna be goin’ in as a decoy so here I go I guess~~~”_ and did a half-assed entry like that!!” 

“Oh shuddup… if I jump full power for every single thing, I’ll be gassed out before we even reach the end.” 

“…” Kita, Suna and Y/N boredly watch the twins bicker as everyone else facepalms. 

“If we hit it then we mean to score! So go all out!” 

“We were at set point anyway, and with a big enough lead. So just drop it.” 

“Are you two done yet??” Ojiro groans in exasperation, sighing as he drags them back to the bench. “We need to switch courts now y’know, we can’t just wait ‘round for you two finish fightin’!” 

“Tch…” Atsumu huffs, pouting as he’s dragged off the court by Ojiro, Osamu just rolls his eyes. 

Y/N just watches them with dead eyes, turning to look at Ginjima as they mentally sigh. _‘Why do we have to deal with them…’_

* * *

_Quarterfinals: Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

Y/N blinks in surprise as she looks at Shiratorizawa’s side, turning to the coaches as she gestures to them. “Wouldja look at that…” 

“Huh, well I’m surprised.” Coach Kurosu mutters. “Didn’t think Washijou would change their rotation, but looks like he did.” 

“…Yeah.” Y/N mumbles, turning to her notebook to make some notes. Shiratorizawa made a full rotation. 

“Oh? I must’ve scared your other blocker pretty bad.” Suna says, staring at Tendou in the front row. 

“Tch, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Tendou scowls, eyeing the three second years in the front row with disgust before turning to address Suna. “Your tricks aren’t always going to work, _Bendy Boy_. Not when you’re up against _Guess Monster_.” 

“Oh? Is that so?” Suna asks. “Being a monster doesn’t seem like something to be proud of.” 

“Hmm~ maybe it’s not~!” Tendou cheerfully shrugs, startling the second years with his sudden personality change. “But you know, when I’m standing on this court, surrounded by my friends, it sounds like the biggest compliment ever.” 

“Huh, I see.” Suna shrugs. 

“Don’t just shrug it off like that!!!” Tendou shrieks. Shirabu just sighs from beside him. 

“Tendou-san… Could you please focus on the match?” He deadpans. “Personally, I don’t fancy being straight up against that second year middle blocker, he’s the worst.” 

“Well we’re in agreement then~” Tendou sings. “He pisses me off so much. I’ll shut him down I swear!” 

“That’s nice and all, but I just don’t want him reading my sets to be honest.” Shirabu mutters, rolling his eyes as he turns to scowl at Goshiki. “Don’t mess up.” 

“I-I won’t, Shirabu-san!” 

_‘Huh… I get a chance to hit it towards Ushijima.’_ Atsumu thinks as he licks his lips and takes four steps from the end-line. _‘Excellent…’_

Atsumu sends a quick jump floater straight towards Ushijima, who barely has enough time to step back for Ohira to take it. 

_“Another excellent serve from Miya Atsumu! But Ohira Reon gets the ball up! But it’s a little off, breaking Shiratorizawa’s formation!”_

“Sorry!” 

“Tsutomu!” Yamagata calls, sending the ball to Goshiki. 

Osamu, Suna and Gin instantly run over to close up on the cross shot, tightly blocking the area and forcing Goshiki to hit a straight. 

_‘Their blockers are so fast…!’_

Goshiki hits the ball straight towards Atsumu, who easily shifts into position and receives it. “‘Samu!” 

“Suna!” Osamu calls, sending a quick set to Suna. 

Having predicted this, Tendou quickly lines up against Suna, jumping up to block him. He moves his arms to the right, and just as he predicted, Suna turns to hit it to Tendou’s right. 

But he doesn’t predict the extent of Suna’s monstrous core stability. Despite predicting the trajectory, Suna manages to hit it to the side of his block. 

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

“Nice kill! Rintarou! Nice kill! Rintarou! Jump, jump, Rintarou! Give us another!” 

_“What an amazing toss from Miya Osamu! It’s not unusual to see a set-up done by a player other than the team setter, but to see a First Tempo Quick Attack unleashed like it was nothing special… Well, I guess I don’t know what to say except that this is what you’d expect from these guys.”_

_“You got that right. Just when you think you’ve dealt with Miya Atsumu, there’s Miya Osamu. Then when you think you’ve dealt with Miya Osamu, there’s Suna Rintarou. They just keep on coming!”_

“My tricks aren’t always going to work, huh?” Suna asks, smiling at Tendou. “Guessing is all and well, even a child can guess. But you’re going to need to do more than just guessing, if you want to block me.” 

“Tch… you piss me off.” Tendou grits his teeth, glaring at Suna indignantly. 

“Don’t worry, you’re still a good blocker.” Suna smiles, moving back into position for Atsumu’s second serve. 

Atsumu takes six steps from the end-line, gazing towards Shiratorizawa as he takes a deep breath. The Inarizaki conductor cheerfully silences the band on Atsumu’s cue, giving him total silence. 

“Yo… is the Shiratorizawa cheer squad dumb…? This would be the perfect time to start hittin’ those drums and screeching incomprehensibly. If it was me, I’d probably scream _“Go Miya Osamu!!”_ What a missed opportunity.” Y/N whispers, Coach Oomi slaps his hand over his mouth stop himself from snickering while Coach Kurosu rolls his eyes. 

“Focus on the actual match, Y/N.” 

_BAM!_

Atsumu sends a powerful spike serve towards the gap between Ushijima and Yamagata, taking them surprise as Yamagata attempts to dive for the ball, but it’s too fast for him. 

_Inarizaki [02 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

_“NO TOUCH SERVICE ACE!!!”_ The commentators scream as the audience goes wild. 

_“Miya Atsumu everyone!! What a powerful serve! And what amazing precision! He purposely aimed for the big gap in the back row! Miya Atsumu is a force to be reckoned with!!”_

“Sorry!” Yamagata groans. 

“Don’t mind.” Ohira smiles. “Wakatoshi, it’s probably better to evenly distribute ourselves in the back row, it’d make it a little easier to deal with Miya Atsumu’s serves.” 

“Okay.” 

_FWEET!_ The referee signals for Atsumu’s third serve as everyone watches him in concentration. 

Tossing the ball in the air, Atsumu hits another powerful Spike Serve, but it hits the net. 

_‘Net-in!’_ Shirabu stumbles as he manages to get it up. “Tendou-san! Push it over!” 

Tendou jumps up to push the ball over, meeting Osamu at the net as they both push the ball. The ball slips through Tendou’s fingers as it falls onto Shiratorizawa’s side. 

_Inarizaki [03 – 00] Shiratorizawa_

_“Inarizaki pushes through the Joust at the net! It seems like Miya Osamu’s too powerful!”_

“Nice kill! Osamu!!” “OSAMU-KUN!!!” 

“Huh, you’re weaker than I thought. I’d think your height would at least equate to somethin’…” Osamu says. 

“Tch… all you second years are so annoying…” Tendou mutters, scowling as he moves back into position. 

“Welp, there he goes again.” Y/N sighs as Coach Oomi looks over at her questioningly. 

“What?” 

“Osamu. Most people think that it’s only Atsumu who’s an annoyin’ jerk… but I think they forget that Osamu is just as annoyin’ and rude.” She mutters, rolling her eyes as she smirks. “I love these boys.” 

“…I seriously can’t tell if you’re insultin’ ‘em, or jokin’ or whatever…” He mutters, sighing as he turns back to the match as Atsumu prepares for his fourth serve. _‘What are we gonna do when these scary second years become third years… How are we gonna survive…?’_

Atsumu tosses the ball into the air as he sends another Jump Floater over the net.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so long omg XD I did my best to make it feel fast paced like a match though =w=
> 
> I've been super busy lately with drawing and my endless projects, but I really researched a lot for this chapter XD So I hope you like it! OuO 
> 
> It's like 8am now where I live and I have class tomorrow (today) so I really need to go to sleep (briefly) welp :')) While I was editing this chapter, my brother also came out of his room holding his iPad with his headphones on XD He was like "...I just woke up." Like the liar he is XD I just woke up too :))
> 
> Anywayy I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Writing matches is definitely one of the hardest parts of writing this fic for me XD Because my actual experience on the volleyball court is very limited :')) (I'm the kind to skip practise oops) But ya! Thanks for reading! :D More exciting things are to come~ =w=
> 
> ~~~  
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	22. Intense Force

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-_

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 3 – Third Round & Quarterfinals _

_Quarterfinals: Inarizaki – Shiratorizawa Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [13 – 11] Shiratorizawa_

“ALRIGHT!” Goshiki cheers as he scores a point, excitedly turning to Ushijima to see his reaction. 

“Nice receive.” Ushijima says bluntly to Ohira. 

“Thanks.” 

“Feels bad.” Suna says, smirking when Goshiki glares at him. “Don’t worry, kid, senpai will notice you eventually.” 

“Goshiki, don’t bother.” Shirabu mutters, stopping Goshiki from arguing with Suna. 

“Aren’t you scared yet~? We’re catching up real fast~” Tendou taunts, staring at Suna with wide eyes as he walks around with exaggerated gestures. 

Raising his eyebrow, Suna shrugs. “You’re still two points behind, regardless of anything, you’re still losing at the moment.” 

Tendou scrunches his face as he lets out a sigh. “I really hate you~” 

_Inarizaki [18 – 19] Shiratorizawa_

_“And for the first time this set, Shiratorizawa overtakes Inarizaki and claims the lead! That was a wonderful service ace from their ace and captain; Ushijima Wakatoshi!”_

Ojiro claps his hands as he smiles encouragingly. “It’s just one point, we’ll get it back.” 

“Ya, we know.” Osamu deadpans. 

“Game’s far from over anyways, everyone’s just makin’ a big deal ‘bout it.” Atsumu shrugs, moving back into position as they wait for Ushijima’s second serve. 

“…At least pretend to be encouraged.” Ojiro mutters as Akagi pats his back. 

“Ushijima-san, nice serve!” 

Ushijima bounces the volleyball a few times in preparation for his serve, ignoring the cheers around him as he concentrates. Tossing the volleyball into the air, he jumps for his serve. 

_BAM!_

The volleyball rockets towards Akagi as he dives to receive it. 

“Soz’! It’s a little off!” 

“Got it!” Atsumu calls, extending his leg as he crouches down into an awkward position. “Gin!” He yells, setting it to him. 

Ginjima jumps up to spike the ball, but he gets blocked by Tendou. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 20] Shiratorizawa_

“Miracle boi~! SA! TO! RI!” Tendou cheers, grinning widely as he looks down on Ginjima. Upon seeing his disgruntle expression, he laughs joyously. “I love seeing that look of desperation on your face~” 

“Tch.” Ginjima scowls turning away as he tries to ignore him. Tendou grins wider at this, feeling highly amused as he turns to look at Suna. 

“Sunarin~ it’s annoying that your facial expression stays the same whether you’re winning or losing~! Can’t you get annoyed or upset or something??” 

“Nah.” He deadpans. 

“So annoying!” Tendou scowls, smile dropping instantly. “Why do you even play volleyball? Do you even like it?” 

Suna tilts his head as he thinks. “I mean… it’s okay I guess?” 

“Lame~!” Tendou sings as Ushijima prepares for his third serve. 

_BAM!_

“Alright!” Ojiro yells, positioning himself to receive it as he gets it up. “Soz’! It’s long!” 

“Chance ball!” Yamagata calls, easily sending it to Shirabu. 

“Goshiki!” 

Suna and Ginjima jump up to block him, lining up with his right hand as he’s just about to spike. 

_‘Dammit-!’_ Goshiki spikes it towards the left, directly at Akagi who skillfully gets it up. 

“Atsumu!” “Alright!” 

Atsumu sends a quick set to Suna, hoping the speed would take Shiratorizawa by surprise. But Tendou’s already in front of Suna before he even set the ball. 

_‘Geh-!’_ Suna winces inwardly as Tendou jumps to block the cross shot, forcing him to hit a straight. _‘I’m not good at hitting balls to the right…!’_

Knowing that Suna would attempt to find another escape, Tendou extends his arm backwards to catch Suna’s feint, bumping it high enough for Yamagata to get it back up. 

“HAH!” He cheers, laughing in Suna’s face. 

“Ushijima-san!” Shirabu calls, tossing to Ushijima as he spikes. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 21] Shiratorizawa_

“You know,” Tendou starts as he smiles at Suna. “The first time I ever felt truly happy, was when I was stuffing some kid’s spike. Even now, that rush I get when I see their heart-broken faces… it’s truly the best~!” 

Suna stares at him in mild concern. “…I see. Then I guess it’s my job to make sure you’re not happy anymore.” 

“Ha! You’re the worst.” Tendou exclaims, still grinning. “Do you even know what it’s like to feel happy on court?” 

Suna blinks for a few moments as he tilts his head to the side, trying to think of a moment when he _truly_ felt happy on court. Racking his brain, he finds himself blank. 

But out of the corner of his eye, he spots Atsumu, scowling at Ushijima over the net. Although he looks less than happy now, Suna clearly recalls Atsumu’s carefree smiles, the infectious and pure joy he feels on court. And subconsciously, he smiles slightly. 

“…I think I have a good idea.” 

“After we get this point, I’m gonna get so many service aces in Ushiwaka’s face, just you wait.” Atsumu scowls, glaring at Ushijima from over the net. 

“If it’s any consolation, looking at him through the net makes it look like he’s in jail or something.” Suna comments, watching Ushijima as he prepares for his fourth serve. Ginjima just sighs, choosing to not say anything as Ushijima jumps to serve. 

_BAM!_

To their surprise, the ball hits the net. 

_‘Dammit, I’m too far back-!’_ Ojiro winces as he tries to reach for it, but thankfully Akagi dives in and gets it up with a Pancake. 

“Akagi-!” The twins and Ojiro gasp in delight, eyes sparkling in awe as Ginjima covers and gets it up. 

“Atsumu!” He calls, sending it to Atsumu as he spikes through Shirabu’s block. 

_Inarizaki [19 – 21] Shiratorizawa_

“Maybe leave the blockin’ to someone taller next time, ‘kay?” Atsumu taunts, smirking down on Shirabu as he grits his teeth and turns away. 

“Great Pancake, Akagi, I didn’t think you’d get it up to be honest.” Ojiro says, slapping Akagi’s hand as they high five each other. 

“Haha~ well, I’m on Inarizaki too, y’know? We’re all some kind of crazy!” He laughs, rotating for Atsumu’s serve as the second years watch him in awe and admiration. 

“Akagi-san’s so cool…!” Ginjima mutters. 

“I know right… I wanna try a Pancake!” Atsumu exclaims. 

“Pancakes… I’m hungry.” 

“We’re in the middle of a match, Osamu.” Suna deadpans. 

“I bet Osamu’s thinkin’ about pancakes now.” Y/N deadpans, sighing as she watches him mutter a few things under his breath and cover the back of his head for Atsumu’s serve. 

“What else would he be thinkin’ about?” Coach Kurosu chuckles, smiling as he watches Atsumu prepare for his serve. “That boy’s got his priorities right.” 

“Shouldn’t his priority be volleyball when he’s on court?” She whispers under her breath as Atsumu signals for silence. 

Coach Kurosu just shrugs as he whispers back. “We all got our own, different set of priorities. For Osamu, it’s just food I guess.” 

_Inarizaki [23 – 22] Shiratorizawa_

_“And after Inarizaki’s consecutive points, Shiratorizawa finally scores! Ending their scoring streak!”_

_“The points are really moving into dangerous territory now, it’s anyone’s game! And now it’s Shiratorizawa’s turn to serve!”_

Ohira takes a deep breath as he tries to calm his nerves. He knows that being nervous would make it worse, but he can’t help it. Scrunching his fists, he lets out the tension. Tossing the ball in the air to serve. 

_BAM!_

_“And Ohira Reon hits a powerful serve over to Inarizaki! Thankfully, their Libero, Akagi Michinari manages to get it up!”_

“Atsumu!” 

“Got it!” Atsumu jumps up to toss the ball, not giving anything away to the blockers as he positions himself. “Aran!” 

Ojiro jumps up for a Back-Row Attack, spiking with all his might as the ball rockets over to Shiratorizawa’s side. Ushijima scowls as he dives to receive the ball, surprising everyone. 

“He can receive too?? Ushiwaka-san’s too good! I call hacks!!” Inoue screeches as she hyperventilates, pulling her hair out in stress. “I mean I know he can receive but like, _he just received_ I-” 

“Chika-chan, calm down.” Kagawa laughs, sheepishly avoiding eyes with the onlookers as the look at them in interest. “It’s fine, we’re in the lead anyway, plus he’s not in a good position to spike.” 

“Yeah but he can still spike?? Ushiwaka’s too good he might just get up and jump right now!” 

“That’s ridiculous, the setter doesn’t have enough time to-” Kagawa gets cut off as she watches Shirabu send a high toss to Ushijima, giving him enough time to run up and spike. “…Whaddya know, maybe you should try the fortune-telling club, Chika-chan.” 

“See??” 

“Okay, but in my defence, there was no logic behind that move.” 

Inoue facepalms at this as she turns to Kagawa with dead eyes. “We’re literally in the Inarizaki Volleyball Club, since when has logic applied to anythin’??” 

“…Maybe you should try the debating club as well.” 

“One-touch!” Tendou calls, managing to get a hand on Ginjima’s spike. _‘I’ll stuff it next time…!’_

“Alright!” Yamagata yells, sending it to Shirabu as he prepares to set. 

“Ushijima-san!” 

_‘Shiratorizawa’s like when you spam your best move in Pokémon.’_ Suna deadpans internally as he jumps up to block with Ginjima. “One-touch!” 

“Alri-” “Got it!” 

Akagi sweat drops as he shifts to the side, letting Atsumu turn the first touch into a set, exciting the crowd as they watch his fearless play. 

“‘Samu!” He calls tossing to Osamu. 

“Too easy~!” Tendou chimes as he jumps up to block Osamu, only for him to shift positions mid-air and toss to Ginjima. 

“Gin!” 

“WHAT?!” Tendou screeches. 

Ginjima jumps up to spike the ball, hitting it between Goshiki’s block and the antenna. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 22] Shiratorizawa_

_“AND IT’S MATCH POINT FOR INARIZAKI! Did that point just decide the game??”_

“No.” Ushijima answers, despite the fact that no one except his teammates can hear him. They all facepalm at this. 

“Wakatoshi, he wasn’t asking- Never mind.” Yamagata sighs preparing himself for Ginjima’s serve. 

Ginjima takes a deep breath, bouncing the ball a few times as he prepares, waiting for the whistle. 

“GIVE US A NICE SERVE, GINNN!!” 

He flinches as a fan from the stands cheers for him, chuckling under his breath as he tosses the ball in the air, sending a Spike Serve towards Ushijima. 

“Alright!” Ohira calls, moving in front of Ushijima as he receives it. 

“Goshiki!” Shirabu calls, tossing to Goshiki as he prepares to spike. Ojiro, Osamu and Suna immediately run up to block him. 

Goshiki scowls as he jumps up to spike. _‘Don’t underestimate me-!’_

Suna’s eyes widen as Goshiki spikes between him and the antenna, taking him by surprise. _‘Oops, probably should have tightened that block a bit more.’_

Ginjima dives to get it up, barely succeeding. “Soz’!” 

The ball goes over the net, and with intense force, Ushijima jumps up and spikes it on the first touch, slamming it down on Inarizaki’s side. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 23] Shiratorizawa_

“That was intense…” Ojiro breathes out. 

“Tell me ‘bout it…” Akagi mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. But rather than being impressed by the play, the second years choose to argue amongst themselves. 

“Suna! Tighten your block!” Ginjima groans, getting off the floor as Atsumu awkwardly pats his back. 

“Yes, I know.” Suna mutters, rolling his eyes as he turns back to face the net. _‘We’re not exactly winning by much… I should stop slacking off.’_

“He just thought _“I should stop slacking off.”_ Gin, tell him off.” Osamu says. 

“I just did!” 

_**Member Substitution**_  
_Shiratorizawa Academy_  
_IN: #3 Semi Eita_  
_OUT: #5 Tendou Satori_

_“It seems like Shiratorizawa is sending in their Setter and Pinch Server, Semi Eita again! And on match point too! The game is still currently in Inarizaki’s favour, but can Semi-kun turn it around??”_

“No pressure.” Semi mutters as he prepares to serve, sighing deeply as he tries to concentrate. 

“Semi-san, nice serve!” 

Taking a deep breath, Semi tosses the ball into the air as he jumps up to serve. 

_BAM!_

“Alright!” Ginjima yells, positioning to receive the powerful serve, he winces as he gets it up. _‘What a shoddy receive…! I’ve practised heaps with Atsumu, I should be better than this!’_

“Hup!” Atsumu takes a step and crouches down, setting from an uncomfortable position. 

Opting to Guess Block this time, Kawanishi runs over to block Osamu, only for Atsumu to toss to Suna, taking him by surprise. 

“Oh, oops.” 

“Tch.” Semi scowls as he digs Suna’s spike, managing to get it up. 

“TAICHI!! I KNOW I SAID TO GUESS BLOCK BUT AT LEAST GUESS BLOCK CORRECTLY!!!” Tendou yells from the bench, startling their reserves as they try to calm him down. 

“Ushijima-san!” Shirabu calls, tossing to Ushijima once again. 

_‘Predictable as always.’_ Inarizaki’s blockers mentally deadpan, all three of them lining up to block him. 

_BAM!_

Akagi winces as he gets it up, but it rockets towards the right. “Soz’!” 

Ginjima dives after the ball, extending his hand just enough to keep the ball in play. “Suna! Last!” 

This time, Kawanishi lines himself up with Suna, attempting the block the cross shot to reduce Suna’s range. 

_‘You know I can hit a straight, right?’_ Suna mentally deadpans, spiking the ball straight. But Ushijima shifts over to get the ball up, keeping it in play. 

“WHAT THE HECK?!?!” Atsumu, Ojiro and Coach Kurosu yell while Shirabu positions himself to set. 

“Semi-san!” 

Semi jumps up for a Back-Row Attack, eyes staring intensely at the volleyball as it’s tossed for him. 

_BAM!_

“Hnng-!” Akagi jumps to the side as he receives it, rolling over from the momentum. “Atsumu!” 

Atsumu grins under the intense gazes of his opponent, fully aware that they’re all watching his every move. In the last moment, he tosses to Ojiro. 

Goshiki and Kawanishi instantly line up to block him. _‘We’re not going to let it through so easily…!’_

Ojiro’s spike gets caught in their block, he turns as he watches the ball fall down. 

Osamu instantly turns around and hits it up, trying to keep it in play as it falls towards the end line. He grits his teeth as he watches it intensely. 

Running after the ball, Atsumu reaches for it as it gets closer and closer towards the ground. In his desperate attempt, he manages to touch it with his fingertips. _‘Dammit-!’_

Akagi instantly dives for the ball, swooping in as he sends it back to Shiratorizawa’s side. 

_‘They got it up… amazing.’_ Y/N thinks in awe, holding her breath as she watches the match with wide eyes. 

“FRONT! THE FRONT!” 

Ohira grits his teeth as he dives for the ball, barely managing to get it up for Semi. 

_“Inarizaki amazingly sends the ball back! It seems like their persistence is throwing Shiratorizawa off!”_

_‘Shut up…!’_ Semi grits his teeth as he jumps to set the ball. _‘When it comes to fire power, we’re stronger…! Because we have…’_

“WAKATOSHI!” 

Ushijima’s intensity throws everyone off, his presence overpowering their thoughts as they scramble to prepare for his spike. 

He jumps up, soaring into the air with beautiful form as he spikes it down with intense force. 

_BAM!_

His spike gets blocked. Rebounding off of Suna and Osamu’s arms as it falls down onto Shiratorizawa’s court. 

In their last, desperate attempt, Semi and Ohira run after the ball. 

Semi reaches out for it as he dives. 

But it falls right before his eyes. 

_‘In.’_

Everyone holds their breath as they watch in silence, taken aback from the intensity. Still watching in disbelief. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 23] Shiratorizawa_

“I’m sorry… Wakatoshi.” Semi mutters as he pants tiredly. 

“You have nothing to apologise for, you didn’t make any mistakes.” Ushijima replies simply. 

**Winners: Inarizaki High School**

_“AND THE CROWD AT YAMAGATA GYMNASIUM CHEERS IN EXCITEMENT! WHAT AN AMAZING WAY TO END THE MATCH! IN RESPONSE TO USHIJIMA’S POWERFUL SPIKE, A TOTAL SHUT DOWN BY INARIZAKI’S AMAZING SECOND YEARS!!”_

_“AND INARIZAKI IS THE ONE TO ULTIMATELY CONQUER THIS SHOWDOWN! WHAT AN AMAZINGLY FIERCE AND INTENSE MATCH!!”_

“AWW YEAHH!!!!” Atsumu cheers as he dives to hug Osamu and Suna, the rest of the team following suit as they join the group hug. 

“HAHAHA-!” Ojiro and Akagi laugh joyously as they ruffle the second year’s head, smiling widely as they celebrate with the rest of their team. 

“Damn… you guys are crazy!” Ginjima laughs as Osamu and Suna roll their eyes at the enthusiasm, smiling slightly as they accept their affection. 

“Aww you’re smilin’~” Coach Kurosu teases as he claps his hands. “The boys won’t judge you if you cry y’know.” 

“Shut up. I won’t show weakness.” Y/N rolls her eyes, but she can’t stop smiling, she’s too proud of her boys. 

“Cryin’ is not a sign of weakness.” Kita says. 

“Thanks, Kita-senpai.” 

Ohira squats down on the court as he pants heavily, staring at the floor in defeat. 

Semi remains lying on the floor, trying to catch his breath as he stares at the ceiling, he doesn’t really feel like getting up any time soon. 

The Shiratorizawa second years in the front row silently turn around to watch their seniors, panting heavily as they try to catch their breath. Goshiki pinches his eyes shut as he tries to stop himself from crying. 

Seeing his teammates in distress, Ushijima sighs under his breath. He extends his hand to Semi, helping him up off the floor as he pulls him up. 

“Thanks, Wakatoshi.” 

“Yeah.” 

“…I guess it can’t be helped.” Tendou sighs wistfully, looking up at the ceiling lights as he thinks to himself. “Oh well, we made it pretty far at least.” 

“…Yeah.” Yamagata mutters as he starts tearing up. “…Just wish I could’ve done more, you know?” 

“You’ve already done a lot, Hayato.” 

“Gather up.” Kita calls, waiting for all his teammates to gather and thank their supporters. 

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!” 

* * *

The Shiratorizawa members change out of their jersey’s quietly as they reflect on the match they just played, the only sound coming from Goshiki’s sniffles as he tries to stop himself from crying. 

There’s a heavy tension in the air, and they’re all tired from the long match, wanting nothing more than to get back to their hotel and sleep. 

The members leave one by one, going to join their coaches for the final verdict, once all the first and second year reserves have gone, Semi lets out a loud sigh. 

“My volleyball career is far from over.” He states, turning to his fellow third years as he looks them all in the eye. “I’ll still keep coming back. And when we come back, at Spring High, I’ll stand on the court again, and I’ll show everyone what I can do.” 

They blink in surprise at this, glancing at each other as they smile. 

“Of course.” Ohira says, patting his shoulder. “I’m definitely coming back for Spring High too, it’s too early for me to retire.” 

“I don’t plan on retiring any time soon either.” Yamagata declares, smiling confidently. 

Tendou laughs at this. “Guess I have to stay too~” He muses. “Let’s all support Wakatoshi-kun until the end of his high school career~!” 

“Yeah.” They all laugh at this, turning to Ushijima as he stares at them. 

Ushijima smiles slightly. “Thanks.” 

* * *

“Come on! Itachiyama’s game isn’t over yet! If we hurry we can watch the end of their last set!” Y/N says, trying to drag Suna’s arm towards Itachiyama’s court as the twins and Ginjima follow behind. 

“I know I know, but Y/N, I just played a game. I’m tired. I want to sleep. I want to-” 

“Get to the Itachiyama game, yes you do, so hurry up!” She groans, accidentally bumping into someone on the way. “Oh sorry-!” 

“It’s alright. Congrats on winnin’.” 

The Inarizaki second years blink in surprise as they look at the Nakiusagi team, not expecting to bump into them. 

“I forgot they existed to be honest.” Osamu rudely whispers to Atsumu. 

“Shut up ‘Samu, I wanna see what they have to say.” He whispers back. 

“Thank you.” Ginjima says, mentally praying that they didn’t hear Osamu’s rude comment. “I assume you were watchin’?” 

“Yeah, we watched the whole thing.” Matsumoto mutters, not looking any of them in the eye. “…We lost in the third round.” 

“Oh.” The five of them say in unison, awkwardly looking at the Nakiusagi team as they try to think of something to say. 

They fall into an awkward silence. 

“Well anyway.” Nakiusagi’s Captain coughs, trying to break the awkward tension. “We lost to Mujinazaka, their ace is too good I guess, you’re versin’ ‘em next right? Avenge us.” 

“We will.” Atsumu states as Suna whispers _‘Assemble’_ under his breath. 

“Thanks.” The captain responds, still awkwardly standing around as he frantically glances at his teammates. _‘Abort! Abort! I didn’t train for awkward conversations!’_

“Anyways we’re gonna go now bye!” 

The Nakiusagi team waves them off as they awkwardly walk away at a fast pace, trying to get away from the weird Inarizaki second years who watch them intently as they pass by. Once they’re gone, Ginjima lets out a loud sigh. 

“…You four are so rude.” 

“Excuse me?? You’re lumpin’ me in with the three freaks??” Y/N gasps in disgust. 

“Three fre- THREE FREAKS??” Atsumu screeches. “N/N?? WHAT THE HELL??” 

“Ew, don’t lump me in with the two losers.” Suna mutters. 

“Excuse me?” Osamu glares. “Don’t lump me in with that turd.” 

“Freak. Loser. Turd.” Atsumu mutters under his breath, aghast. The three words play like a broken record in his head, echoing repeatedly as he grabs Ginjima’s shoulders. “Gin! You’re my only chance at redemption! Quick! Compliment me!” 

“What the f-” 

“Hey isn’t that Miya Atsumu? Oh and his brother Miya Osamu’s there! And Suna and Gin oh my gosh-!” 

Atsumu quickly lets go of Ginjima’s shoulders as he hears the squeals of his fans, he leans down to whisper in Y/N’s ears. “It’s gettin’ real annoyin’ and noisy, I’ll help you drag Suna.” 

He grabs Suna’s arm as he drags him down the hall, smiling charmingly at his fans as he quickly tries to get away. Osamu, Ginjima and Y/N sheepishly follow behind. 

“Sorry, we’re in a hurry.” Y/N smiles apologetically at the fans as she runs after them, leaving the crowd of fans behind. “Thank you for all the support though!” 

_BAM!_

_FWEET!_

The crowd cheers loudly just as the Inarizaki second years make it to the court. 

“What’d I miss?” Osamu asks. 

“Tch… Damn Sakusa.” Atsumu mutters in distain. “Gettin’ a service ace just as we get here… the audacity.” 

“You have no right to complain.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Fukurodani’s holdin’ up pretty well, looks like Itachiyama’s got the lead though.” 

“Yeah, they’re probably gonna win again.” Ginjima says, sighing tiredly. “Day 3 Hell is the worst… I’m so tired from our matches, and watchin’ this one’s makin’ me more tired…!” 

“Tell me about it.” Suna groans. “Glad the Mujinazaka match’s tomorrow, I might actually murder the referee if we had to play them today.” 

“Rintarou, don’t plan a murder out loud, there are cameras.” Y/N whispers, rolling her eyes. “Mujinazaka beat Nakiusagi earlier today huh?” 

“Yeah~ Kiryuu’s bad news~” Atsumu chimes, watching the Itachiyama and Fukurodani game intently. 

“I guess.” Y/N shrugs. 

“You don’t seem impressed, Y/N.” Suna observes. “Not a Kiryuu fan?” 

“After lookin’ after this team, I don’t think I’d ever be able to be a fan of a volleyball player.” She deadpans. “I think Kiryuu’s really skilled, he’s amazin’. But I don’t really get an _‘Ace’_ vibe from him, y’know?” 

“Hmm, I see what you mean but not really at the same time, whaddya mean?” Osamu asks. 

“Ehh, it’s like, some players really have this amazin’ presence, their intensity and skill align with their unbelievable plays, they don’t carry the team per se, but rather, they empower them.” 

“Hm? So who’s someone that gives you that _‘Ace’_ vibe?” Suna prompts, looking at her curiously. 

“Hmm…” 

_FWEET!_

Their eyes all snap back to the court, having missed the last play in their discussion. 

_“AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! WHAT AN AMAZING SPIKE FROM SAKUSA KIYOOMI! ENDING THE GAME WITH FUKURODANI IN AN INSTANT! ITACHIYAMA CLAIMS THEIR VICTORY!!”_

“Guess they won again, huh.” Atsumu mutters. 

“Yeah.” Osamu says, tiredly watching the Itachiyama team celebrate their victory as the Fukurodani team gathers after their loss. 

Y/N watches the court intently, sighing under her breath as she turns her gaze back to Suna. 

“Well, if you asked me to name the first _‘Ace’_ off the top of my head, I’d say Sakusa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _-HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_
> 
> HELLO THE NEW CHAPTER HAS ME DECEASED I AM NO LONGER A SENTIENT BEING FOR MY EXISTENCE IS NOW NOTHING BUT A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT
> 
> BABY SAKUSA OMG **B A B Y S A K U S A** FURUDATE ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME??? REGARDLESS OF YOUR INTENTIONS I HAVE ALREADY PASSED AWAY AND TRANSCENDED INTO A NEW PLANE OF EUPHORIA THANKYOU SO MUCH 
> 
> MY PERSONALITY HAS NOW BEEN REDUCED TO NOTHING EXCEPT LOVING SAKUSA. I NO LONGER HAVE A PERSONALITY I JUST LOVE SAKUSA THANKS 
> 
> ANYWAY IN THIS NEW STATE OF EUPHORIA I HAVE DRAWN MY FEELINGS SO PLEASE ACCEPT THIS OFFERING OF BABY SAKUSA:
> 
> HE'S SO CUTE SO I COULDN'T RESIST I HAD TO DRAW HIM 😭😭 
> 
> I was going to draw him in a bunny onesie since I love bunnies, but I thought a weasel onesie would be more fitting since he goes to Itachiyama XD I also like the colours I chose since it makes the whole thing look so soft :'))) He's so cute... Omi-Omi... ;-;
> 
> I'm still blown away by everything in the chapter, so expect me to draw Middle School Sakusa and High School Sakusa XD (My resolve is weak, I love him so much omg)
> 
> Ok so about the new manga chapter omg where do I start?? It's been over a day but I'm still so overwhelmed... Sakusa... I literally love you so much you have no idea... To be honest, I was really prepared for a sad backstory or a traumatic past, but instead... I got something so beautiful... I love Sakusa's thought process and his philosophies that shape the way he chooses to live his life... I just think it's really beautiful. 
> 
> Although I love Sakusa very much, I didn't really think there'd be too much depth to his character. And now that I finally have a small glimpse at his thoughts and beliefs, he's just so much more beautiful... I fell in love with him all over again... 
> 
> Anyway! I'm so thankful for the chapter honestly, it really helps me a lot with writing this fic. Thankfully, the base of everything I've planned out for the future chapters didn't change at all XD My headcannons remain! Yas! There _were_ two things I removed from the future chapters though XD thankfully I haven't started foreshadowing them yet so you guys will never know~ =w= The manga chapter helped me develop a lot of my plans though, and filled in a lot of gaps that I purposely left open while waiting, so I'm literally so happy omg. 
> 
> And the timing of Sakusa's character chapter is great too XD Because we're getting to the end of Interhigh and getting closer to... some things :)) I can't wait to write out the future chapters omg I'm literally shaking in excitement XD Thankyou so much for reading!
> 
> ~~~  
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	23. The struggles of the weak-willed

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 4 – Semi-finals_

_Semi-finals: Mujinazaka – Inarizaki Match_

_“For the fourth day of the Interhigh Volleyball Championship, we are at the Men’s Semi-finals! With Mujinazaka High School, Ooita Prefecture Representative and Spring High Best 4 Contender! Up against Inarizaki High School, Hyogo Prefecture Representative and also a Spring High Best 4 Contender! Our second and third seed respectively!”_

_“It’s a match up between two total Powerhouse Schools!”_

_“Both teams each have a National Top Ace as part of their composition, Kiryuu Wakatsu and Ojiro Aran respectively. Will this match boil down to an Ace-to-Ace showdown?”_

_“That’s right! Kiryuu-kun was a star player who was chosen as the MVP during his middle school years as well as being a National Top 3 Ace, so there is a high degree of attention focused on him! As for Inarizaki High School, Ojiro-kun is also a big name! He’s been performing very well recently, and if he were in reasonably good condition, he might even make the cut for one of the country’s top 3!”_

_“That’s not all Inarizaki’s got though! They also have Miya Atsumu, who won Best Server award during middle school, and is also a well-known high school setter! Not to mention his twin brother Miya Osamu who plays opposite! Their middle blocker Suna Rintarou is also quite well known, being one of Inarizaki’s top scorers!”_

_“You got that right! Inarizaki’s second years are total monsters!”_

_“But if we’re going to talk about middle blockers, we have to mention Mujinazaka’s Twin Towers; Mami Nozomu and Unnan Keisuke! They’re the pillars of team’s defence! This is a showdown between two total Powerhouse Schools with exceptional players, so I’m really looking forward to this match!”_

“Oh didja hear that, N/N?” Osamu asks. “Their middle blocker’s name starts with a K, he’s also got dark hair and dead eyes, if that’s your type.” 

“You know who else has a name that starts with K, has dark hair and dead eyes??” Suna whispers enthusiastically. “Not to mention is the first person to come to mind when someone mentions-” 

“Okay you two can knock it off now.” Y/N deadpans. “You _do_ know we’re here for a volleyball match, right?” 

“I’m pretty good at multitaskin’.” Osamu states matter-of-factly. “So anyway-” 

“Oi, leave her alone.” Ginjima frowns as he crosses his arms. “Can’t you two focus on the match for once? It’s Semi-finals, take it seriously.” 

“Yeah, take it seriously!” Atsumu mimics, frowning as he crosses his arms in attempts to copy Ginjima. 

“You sure are talkin’ a lot, Atsumu.” Y/N deadpans. “If I’m forced to listen to your voice, I sure hope you’re gonna get heaps of service aces.” 

“Of course I am, didn’tcha hear the commentators? Everyone’s lookin’ out for my amazin’ serves and sets, I don’t plan to disappoint.” 

“Plans change.” Osamu pipes up. 

“Yeah, and based off the videos we watched last night, isn’t Mujinazaka’s setter also pretty good at serves and setting? Maybe he’s stealing your brand.” 

“Shuddup Suna!” 

“I also heard he’s pretty manipulative.” Y/N adds. “People say he can be pretty awful and shady durin’ matches.” 

“Oh, so like you?” Osamu asks. 

“…Did you just insult me?” 

“Nah nah, that’s a compliment N/N!” Atsumu insists, eyes sparkling. “Since you’re also super shady and manipulative, you can probably break down his thought process! Like readin’ his mind or somethin’!” 

“I don’t think it works like that.” Suna mutters. 

“Excuse me? _Shady_??” Y/N scowls, glaring at Atsumu. 

The four second years continue bickering amongst themselves while Ginjima helplessly watches them from the sidelines, sighing as he facepalms. Sometimes, he just feels like he can’t keep up with the four of them. 

* * *

_Semi-finals: Mujinazaka – Inarizaki Match – First Set_  
_Mujinazaka [00 – 00] Inarizaki_

“Let’s have a good game!” 

“It’s true that Mujinazaka’s a team that’s technically ranked higher than us in the past, but that’s all it is; the past.” Coach Kurosu smiles at his team. “Forget about their former glory and look ahead. Rise to today’s challenge, let’s show them who Inarizaki is today.” 

“Yes sir!” 

_“The match will start with a serve from Mujinazaka’s Setter, Usuri Michiru!”_

“Here I go!” Usuri cheerfully tosses the ball into the air as he sends a jump floater over. 

“Net in!” “Gin!” 

“Hnng-!” Ginjima dives forward as he tries to get it up, but he’s half a step short. 

_Mujinazaka [01 – 00] Inarizaki_

_“A no-touch service ace right off the bat! What an incredible serve from Mujinazaka’s Setter!”_

“Sorry ‘bout that! I’ll get it next time!” Ginjima groans. 

“Don’t mind!” 

Usuri tosses the ball into the air for his second serve, sending another jump floater over the net. 

“Got it!” Akagi calls, getting an overhand receive on it. “Atsumu!” 

“Hup!” Atsumu gets into position and sets a Quick. “Aran!” 

Ojiro jumps up as he spikes the ball with all his might. 

_BAM!_

The Mujinazaka blockers jump up to block the spike, but the ball bounces off their arms and out of bounds from the force. 

_Mujinazaka [01 – 01] Inarizaki_

_“And a Back Row Quick right off the bat from Inarizaki! What fearless courage from Ojiro Aran and Miya Atsumu! Both teams are already showcasing impressive plays, what an exciting way to start the match!”_

“It’s time to show ‘em how serving’s _really_ done.” Atsumu states, staring intensely at Mujinazaka before he turns around to prepare for his serve. 

Ginjima watches him for a moment and sighs. _‘I’m really on a team filled with monsters…’_

“Wakatsu-san!” Usuri calls as he sets the ball. 

_‘Here it comes again…’_

Kiryuu jumps up to spike. 

_BAM!_

With incredible power and precision, Kiryuu blasts the ball through Inarizaki’s three-man block, aiming in the gap between Ginjima’s arms as the ball flies off the court. 

_Mujinazaka [08 – 09] Inarizaki_

_“Another powerful spike! Kiryuu Wakatsu everybody!! Blocks are nothing to him, this is a National Top 3 Ace!”_

“Argh! Soz’ again!” Ginjima groans. 

“Don’t rush the timing of the blocks, Gin. And make sure your arms aren’t too far apart.” Suna says bluntly. 

“Yeah I know, soz’ I’ll get it next time!” 

“…Be sure to hit my tosses properly, Gin.” Atsumu says seriously, watching Ginjima with a blank expression. “I don’t wanna be sendin’ any tosses to a scrub.” 

“Oi, stop that!” Ojiro scolds, slapping the back of Atsumu’s head. “He gets it, let it go.” 

“Tch…” 

“…You noticed it too, right?” Coach Kurosu asks. 

“Yeah… they’re targettin’ Hitoshi on purpose.” Y/N mutters under her breath, scowling at Mujinazaka’s setter. “How vile.” 

“Wakatsu-san!” 

Kiryuu jumps up and spikes the ball down with such intensity it rebounds off of Akagi’s out-stretched arms and out of bounds. Momentarily shocking the crowd. 

_Mujinazaka [16 – 14] Inarizaki_

_“Kiryuu once again! Blasting away the receive as well, what amazing intensity and strength!”_

“Soz’ ‘bout that one!” Akagi apologises. 

“Don’t mind, Akagi! We’ll get it next time!” 

Ginjima takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he tries to calm his nerves. _‘The court has no space for worries…’_

_FWEET!_

The tweet of the whistle startles him out of his thoughts, the sound piercing through his ears as he becomes unusually alert of all his surroundings. Hearing the squeaking sounds of the server’s shoes, his eyes hyper focus on Mujinazaka’s number 4. 

“Nice serve, Unnan!” 

_BAM!_

Unnan’s serve rockets towards him as he stiffly moves into a position to receive it. 

“Soz’! It’s short!” Ginjima grits his teeth. _‘What a piss poor receive-!’_

“Got it~!” Atsumu calls, easily crouching down as he sets the ball from an uncomfortable position. “‘Samu!” 

Osamu jumps up to spike the ball as Mujinazaka’s blockers jump up to stop him. Turning around, he hits the ball against their block. 

_‘That was an amazin’ rebound…!’_ Ginjima thinks to himself in awe. _‘If only I could…’_

“Alright!” Akagi calls, getting the ball up. 

“‘Samu!” Atsumu calls for the toss as Osamu begrudgingly goes over to set the ball. 

“Hup!” Atsumu excitedly spikes the ball down onto Mujinazaka’s side of the court as he celebrates. “Alright!” 

_Mujinazaka [16 – 15] Inarizaki_

“Nice kill! Atsumu!” “MIYA-SENPAI!!!” 

_“That was an excellent toss! Done by Miya Osamu, who isn’t the team’s setter! It seems like he switched positions with his brother in order to replicate the attack they tried earlier! What remarkable skill!”_

“Duh, that’s ‘coz only the best get to stand on court.” Atsumu says, smirking as he high fives Osamu. “Ain’t that right, ‘Samu?” 

“You’re standin’ on court, so there’s probably exceptions.” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Oi twins, don’t fight.” Ojiro scolds, sighing tiredly as he rotates for his serve. 

_Mujinazaka [18 – 19] Inarizaki_

_“An excellent spike from Inarizaki’s middle blocker, Suna Rintarou! What monstrous core stability!”_

_“Especially against Mujinazaka, who’s known for having impeccable blocking, Suna-kun’s spike is definitely no easy feat! Spiking around the block with such control, truly amazing! Inarizaki’s second years are total monsters!”_

“Eyyy~!” Atsumu cheers, high fiving Suna. “You got ‘em good!” 

“Warmin’ up already? It’s only the first set.” Osamu teases. “Who’re you? The _real_ Suna wouldn’t start gettin’ into it ‘til the second set. If ever.” 

“The callout. I’m hurt.” Suna deadpans, placing a hand on his heart. “Did you think you were the only one with an evil twin, Osamu? The Rintarou you know is gone; I’ve replaced him.” 

“Damn, so easily replaced.” Atsumu smirks. “Guess everyone on court’s easy to replace though, except me~!” 

“Especially you.” Osamu and Suna drone in unison, moving into position for Ginjima’s serve. 

“Give us a nice serve, Gin!” 

Ginjima bounces the ball a few times as he tries to relax his muscles and ignore his nerves. He takes a few deep breaths as he does his best to calm himself. But his hands are sweating more than usual. 

_FWEET!_

His body tightens at the sound of the whistle, his concentration breaking as he hyper focuses on all the sounds in the gym. The panting, the cheering, the clapping, the talking. He can feel the stares burning into him as well. 

Gulping uneasily, he tosses the ball into the air as he jumps. 

_BAM!_

The ball rockets over the net at an incredible speed towards Usuri. 

“Out!” 

Usuri steps aside as his serve bounces out of bounds. 

_Mujinazaka [19 – 19] Inarizaki_

_‘Sh*t.’_

“Soz’!” He groans. “That was my bad!” 

“…What’s up with ya today, Gin?” Atsumu asks. “You’re actin’ like a scrub.” 

“Oi.” Osamu warns, glaring at Atsumu. “Enough of that, he knows.” 

“Yikes…” Suna mutters under his breath, turning around to face the net, not wanting to get involved. 

“…This isn’t good.” Y/N mutters. 

“Tell me somethin’ I don’t know…” Coach Kurosu sighs, adjusting his glasses as he crosses his arms. “D’ya think he can hold it together?” 

“…I hope so.” 

“If Gin isn’t playin’ to the best of his abilities, it could affect the team.” Kita states matter-of-factly. “Perhaps it would be wise to substitute him out.” 

“He isn’t makin’ many mistakes, so there’s no urgency to take him out yet…” Coach Kurosu mutters. “Although…” 

“His minor errors here and there, are addin’ onto that stress he already has.” Y/N sighs. _‘Hitoshi… don’t let your anxiety get the better of you…’_

“Mami-san nice serve!” 

Mami tosses the ball into the air as he sends a serve over the net, purposely aiming for Ginjima. 

_‘Dammit… if you’re gonna target me, at least be discreet about it…!’_ Ginjima inwardly scowls, moving into position to receive it. “Alright!” 

“Atsumu!” “Hup!” 

Atsumu easily gets into setting position as Osamu and Suna both run up for a Quick. 

_‘Double Quick…?!’_

Knowing that Mujinazaka’s blockers are distracted by Osamu and Suna’s attack stances, Atsumu opts to dump the ball in the last second. 

_Mujinazaka [19 – 20] Inarizaki_

_“And Miya Atsumu performs a flawless setter’s dump! Incredible! He took advantage of the fact that Mujinazaka’s blockers would be watching Miya Osamu and Suna-kun closely due to their Double Quick, and performed a setter’s dump to laugh in their faces!”_

_“Inarizaki’s second years are certainly a scary combination, they’ve been getting more and more attention this Interhigh, and it’s not hard to see why! The audience must be having the time of their lives watching them!”_

“Damn, Inarizaki’s second years really are crazy!” 

“I know right?? They were great last year as first years, but as second years they’re just on another level now!” 

“Right?? Their number 5’s a second year too though, right? I don’t think I’ve really seen him do much to be honest… A bit disappointing in comparison…” 

“Yeah well, you can’t expect him to keep up with the rest of the team all the time. He’s good, but the rest of Inarizaki’s crazy!” 

_‘Dammit… don’t listen to them…!’_ Ginjima thinks as he grits his teeth. _‘Focus on the match, don’t listen to anything else. Keep your eyes and ears on the court!’_

Suna glances at Ginjima worriedly as he rotates for his serve. Waiting for the referee’s signal, Suna serves on the whistle. 

_FWEET!_

Ginjima jolts at the sound, eyes wide open in alert as he does his best to focus. But no matter how hard he tries, his senses scramble as they pick up everything in the vicinity. His distress doesn’t go unnoticed by his teammates on the bench. 

“Something’s really wrong with Gin at the moment…” Coach Kurosu mumbles. “Even with the game aside, I wanna make sure his mental health comes first… I think we should switch him out.” 

“…I think he’s experiencin’ a sort of sensory overload…” Y/N sighs sadly, grimacing as she watches him, he’s not performing terribly, but his movements aren’t as fluid and strong as they usually are. He’s restless and jittery. _‘Hitoshi… please hold it together… don’t let your anxiety and insecurities consume you…’_

“D’ya think we should switch him out?” Coach Kurosu asks, glancing at her briefly before he turns his attention back onto the game. 

“…Yeah.” Y/N mutters, sighing as she turns to the reserves. “Kosaku-kun, you might wanna start warmin’ up.” _‘I’m so sorry, Hitoshi…’_

_‘Dammit…! Why can’t I focus?? Focus on the match! Focus on the ball! Why is everyone so loud? Why are there so many people??’_ Ginjima scowls at the ground as he pants tiredly, his panting echoing loudly in his ears. 

_‘Why’s everything so loud? Stop it! Your team’s counting on you! Why’s everyone so noisy??’_

“Gin… are you okay?” 

Suna’s questions snaps Ginjima out of his thoughts as he suddenly whips his head around to look at Suna. 

“Y-yeah it’s just… uhh, nothin’. Don’t worry ‘bout me.” 

Suna raises an eyebrow at this, sighing as he prepares for his second serve. “…Tell that to Y/N.” 

Ginjima takes a deep breath as he uneasily glances over to the bench, seeing Y/N look at him sympathetically. Glancing to the side, he also sees Kosaku starting to warm up. He turns his eyes back to the court as he sighs. 

“Really… I’m fine…” 

“Looks like they’re taking him out.” 

“Sakusa… don’t say it like that… You make it sound like they’re going to snipe him or something.” Komori deadpans, sighing as he turns back to look at the court. “Poor guy, Mujinazaka’s pretty mean for repeatedly targeting him like that.” 

Sakusa shrugs as he continues watching the game. “Anything can be used as a weapon, you have to do whatever it takes to take down your opponent.” 

“…We’re still talking about volleyball, right?” 

**_Member Substitution_**  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #13 Kosaku Yuuto_  
_OUT: #5 Ginjima Hitoshi_

 _“Ah, it seems like Inarizaki’s making a member substitution, they’ll be changing their outside hitter.”_

“Yuss!” Usuri cheers under his breath as Ginjima switches with Kosaku. Kosaku pats him on the back in encouragement, giving him thumbs up as he jogs to his position. 

“Oh, Coach benched Gin.” Atsumu mutters, shrugging in disinterest. 

“Well, some days you’re the windshield, some days you’re the bug.” Ojiro sweat drops, high fiving Kosaku as he walks onto the court. “We all get off days.” 

“He’ll practise and get better. What’a keen bean.” Suna chimes. 

“He’s been actin’ like a total scrub today though. A guy like that needs to just drop out of the team and quit while he’s behind.” Atsumu mutters darkly. 

Osamu glares at him. “Screw you… You foul-mouthed sh*t pig.” He spits, kicking Atsumu’s butt in distain. 

Ojiro closes his eyes and turns away. _‘I do not see.’_

_‘They do know we’re being live-streamed on television, right?’_ Suna thinks to himself, watching them in interest as Kosaku sweat drops. 

Osamu glares at Atsumu in disgust as he puts his hands on his hips, knowing he’d get in trouble if he wrestled him. “Everyone has days where they suck, you slimy, turdy, d-” 

“Osamu we’re on TV.” Ojiro warns. 

“Gin’s been coverin’ our asses for who knows how long now! Pickin’ up the slack for us while we do all these flashy plays and run wild. Just watch ‘im cool his head and come back all cool, you got that??” 

“Hnng-!” Atsumu groans, scrunching his face up as he tries to physically stop himself from wrestling Osamu there and then. “…I got it.” 

“Oh, that was more peaceful than usual.” Suna comments. 

“You consider that peaceful?” Kosaku deadpans, sighing tiredly as he facepalms. “Does this team even know what peace _is_?” 

Atsumu pouts as he grumbles under his breath, averting his eyes from Osamu. “…It’s just that Gin’s usually the more level-headed one outta us second years, just thought it was strange he’d get all jittery…” 

“Dude, Gin’s the most level-headed out of all of us because we’re all insane.” Suna deadpans, walking off the court as he switches with Akagi. 

“Truer words have never been spoken.” Kosaku mutters under his breath. 

* * *

“Come sit ‘ere, Gin.” Coach Kurosu pats the space on the bench between him and Y/N as she scoots over a bit. “Y’need to cool yer head.” 

“Yes sir.” He sighs gravely, plopping down onto the bench as he holds his head in his hands. 

“It’s only temporary, Hitoshi, since you’re not playin’ well at the moment.” Y/N says bluntly. 

“…Yeah, okay.” 

“Yikes… that’s pretty harsh, couldn’t she sugar coat it a little?” Suna mutters, getting Kita’s attention. 

“Gin already knows, Y/N’s just statin’ the obvious. Sugar coatin’ will only make him feel worse.” 

“Ah, okay.” 

* * *

_‘Everybody knows the Inarizaki second years are monsters. I know, more than anyone else. I’m painfully aware of that fact.’_

_‘But when they refer to the monstrous second years… I know I’m not included.’_

Ginjima blankly watches his teammates as they continue the match without him, watching as they and their opponents score point after point, with equally flashy plays. Sitting on the bench, he quietly chuckles to himself. 

_‘My teammates… my friends… I remember, spending all of my first year, watching them from the bench.’_

_‘…Ah. This view is so familiar, I remember it so well. Just like old times I guess… when I wasn’t on the court with them…’_

_‘When I wasn’t needed…’_

_‘Am I even needed_ now _?’_

“Hitoshi… talk to me.” Y/N’s voice snaps him out of his self-depleting thoughts. “Voice your thoughts to me, you know I’d never judge.” 

He looks at her helplessly, sighing as he stretches his arms. “There’s not much point, it’s not as if you don’t know…” 

“Even so, please, just let it all out.” She encourages, smiling lightly. “You know we’re all here for you.” 

_FWEET!_

Their eyes snap back to the court, looking at the scoreboard for the result of the first set. 

_Semi-finals: Mujinazaka – Inarizaki Match – First Set_  
_Mujinazaka [22 – 25] Inarizaki_

_‘They won without me.’_

_“And the first set goes to Inarizaki! The score is quite close though, Mujinazaka’s blockers were getting faster and faster towards the end of the set! Inarizaki will have to keep an even closer eye on them in the next set!”_

Both teams drag their volleyball carts over to the other side as they change courts, most of them ignoring the opposing team’s presence. Most. 

Atsumu purposely bumps into Usuri, halting in his movements as he looks down on him with his broader build and superior height (of 1.4cm). 

“Oh, I didn’t see you there.” He deadpans. “You got some nerve, goin’ after one of our teammates like that.” 

“If it isn’t the famous Miya-san~!” Usuri chimes, smiling cheerfully. “It’s an honour to be in the presence of such a celebrity! I’m still a nobody, but this lil’ nobody helped take down one of your teammates, haha~!” 

Atsumu scowls at him, mentally questioning if his own personality is this awful when he trash talks others. “Ha. Yer just awful.” He scoffs. 

Usuri just laughs brightly in response, as if he was complimented. 

Atsumu rolls his eyes as he starts walking away to join his team. “Your Ace is weak-willed, ain’t he? Would be a shame if he crashed and burned.” 

* * *

Ginjima silently watches his team from the bench as Coach Kurosu talks to them with Coach Oomi and Y/N. Thankfully, none of them glance back at him to see how he’s doing, he knows he’d just feel worse if they did. 

Sighing under his breath, he wrings his hands together as he thinks carefully, remembering past moments with the team from the previous year. When he wasn’t a starter. 

“Let’s go!!” 

_“It looks like Inarizaki will be continuing the second set with the same line up of players from the end of the first set. Both teams are maintaining their rotations!”_

“Looks like they’re keeping him on the bench for now.” Komori comments, looking at Ginjima as Y/N wordlessly sits beside him. The referee signals for the start of the second set and Atsumu’s serve. 

“He probably hasn’t calmed down enough from the first set. It’s not as if Inarizaki’s reserves aren’t good, because they are. They might not even sub him back into the game at all.” Sakusa says bluntly as Komori sweat drops. 

“Wow… harsh…” 

“It doesn’t matter, it’s not like he can hear me.” Sakusa mumbles, watching Y/N as she starts talking to Ginjima on the bench. “Besides, it looks like L/N-san’s talking to him now.” 

“…Do you still feel inferior?” 

Ginjima remains silent as he grimaces, sweat dropping at her blunt question. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Y/N sighs, stretching her arms as she half watches the match in front of them, she just needs to trust that Kagawa and Inoue are taking notes from the sidelines. “I know the three of them are-” 

“It’s not just the three of them.” 

“Hm?” Y/N looks at him curiously, face devoid of emotion as she watches various expressions flicker on his face. Ginjima mutters inaudibly as he tries to order his scrambled thoughts, tilting and twisting his head in thought as he thinks. 

After a few moments, he sighs. 

“I… against my better judgement, have always felt worthless in comparison to the four of you.” He says sadly, smiling as he looks down at his hands. “You four have always been so far ahead of me, I’ve known that from the start. But you always did your best to include me, I appreciate it, I really do, but I guess I started to believe I was one of you…” 

“Hitoshi… You are one of us though.” Y/N says, sitting on her hands as she swings her legs back and forth. “And you know better than anyone, that I wouldn’t have gotten this far with the team without you.” 

Ginjima chuckles dryly. “You could have, I just helped you feel more welcome I guess.” 

“And you have no idea how important that is to me.” She responds, watching as Osamu hits his serve out. _‘Ha. What a loser.’_

“…I guess.” Ginjima sighs tiredly, sweat dropping as the twins start bickering on the court. “Argh! We’re in the middle of a match! It’s stupid to be thinkin’ ‘bout things like this!” He groans, ruffling his hair in annoyance. 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this, slapping his shoulder as she looks at him seriously. “If these are your honest, genuine emotions, then there’s nothin’ stupid ‘bout it. And you have nothin’ to be ashamed of.” 

The two of them wordlessly turn back to the match, Y/N opens her notebook as she starts taking notes again, letting Ginjima have a few moments to think to himself and clear his mind. 

Watching from the sidelines is something Ginjima’s used to, having been on the bench for the entirety of his first year, only occasionally coming in as a Pinch Server. 

However, every time he takes a step away from the court, he’s reminded of how amazing his teammates are. 

“Nice kill! Rintarou! Rintarou!” 

“You comin’ after Aran-kun’s point count, Suna?” Atsumu teases. “You better start steppin’ up yer game, Aran-kun! Suna’s catchin’ up!” 

“You’re the team setter, if you want me to score more, you gotta send me the balls.” Ojiro deadpans. “Whaddya expect me to do? Set the balls to myself??” 

“Fine fine~ I’ll send ‘em to ya~!” Atsumu chuckles. 

Ginjima watches from the sidelines as his teammates score point after point, showcasing their skills with their impressive and flashy plays. The well-known unconventional Inarizaki playstyle. He chuckles to himself. 

_‘Did I get ahead of myself? Did I, for a single moment, start to believe that I was one of them? Surrounded by monsters... I started to mistaken myself for one as well... I was too naive...’_

He smiles as he watches Ojiro score a powerful spike as promised, listening to the wild cheers of the audience, and the excited comments from the commentators. 

_‘I was never jealous, how could I be? Seeing them up close, seeing all their hard work, I could never be jealous of them...’_

_‘I just wish I could be that friend, that teammate, just someone they could rely on.’_

“The view from the side, it must be pretty familiar to you.” Y/N says, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“Yeah, it is.” He answers simply, shrugging. “Watchin’ ‘em from the sidelines isn’t anythin’ new for me.” 

“But bein’ on court with them, isn’t anythin’ new to you either.” Y/N says, smiling as she glances at him from the corner of her eye. “Who was the first second year to get the uniform again…?” 

Ginjima rolls his eyes at this. “Me.” 

“Ain’t that right~ Didn’tcha nearly cry to Rintarou after gettin’ it?” She teases, laughing at his pout. “Aww don’t be like that, just be glad he didn’t film.” 

“He would’ve if he got the chance.” He mutters under his breath. 

Coach Kurosu clears his throat, getting the two of them to glance at him curiously. He chuckles as he sees their earnest expressions. “Did I miss the cue to come in with my Coach wisdom, or am I too early?” 

“It’s always the right time to hear your words of wisdom, Coach.” Y/N teases as she laughs. “I already know what you’re gonna say, but I’ll let you have your moment.” 

“You’re so kind.” Coach Kurosu deadpans sarcastically, turning to Ginjima as he smiles. “Gin, what d’ya think about our team motto?” 

“ _‘We don’t need things like memories.’_ It’s a meaningful motto I guess? We don’t hold onto our former achievements, the glory of yesterday, we look towards the future.” 

“And we rise to the challenges of today.” Coach Kurosu finishes. “It makes sense, right? There’s no point clinging onto the glory of last year, there’s not point clinging onto the past. It’s already over, ain’t it?” 

“Yeah? I guess?” 

“You’re one of our starters Gin, don’tcha remember what I said when I gave you the uniform?” 

_“Next up, number 5, Gin~”_

_“S-Sir!” Ginjima stands up quickly, slightly startled. The first years look at him in confusion, not completely sure why he’s so surprised._

_Ginjima stiffly walks up to the coaches as they hand his uniform to him. He stares at the uniform in his hands, almost in disbelief._

_“You’ve worked hard ta get where you are, I have high hopes for ya this year.” Coach Kurosu smiles at Ginjima proudly, catching him off-guard with his encouragement._

_“Thank you sir!” Ginjima bows quickly before sitting down next to Suna once again._

“…I remember.” Ginjima laughs to himself. “I was so startled.” 

“Yeah, you were.” Coach Kurosu chuckles, clearly remembering Ginjima’s expression. “I still mean it y’know, you’ve worked hard ta get where you are, and I’ve got high hopes for ya.” 

“…Yeah.” Ginjima mutters, smiling as he continues watching the match. 

“You were on the bench last year, that’s true. But that’s in the past, ain’t it? It’s in the past now, let’s leave it behind. Let’s focus on the fact that you’ve earned your spot on the court.” Coach Kurosu says, smiling proudly as he watches his team. “You’ve all worked hard to earn your spot on the court, and you’re no different from the rest of the team. You deserve that spot, just like everyone else.” 

“No one in this world is equal.” Y/N says. “But despite that, you still stand on the same court as them, don’t you?” 

“Excuse me, missy. This was my speech, don’t interrupt me.” Coach Kurosu cuts in. “But yeah, argh, what she said. Thanks for stealin’ my spotlight, Y/N.” 

“Anytime~” 

Ginjima lets out a laugh, feeling a little lighter as his mind clears and he feels his insecurities shrink away to the back of his mind. “You sure you wanna be focusin’ all your attention on me, Coach? Shouldn’t you be focusin’ on the game? This is Semi-finals y’know.” 

“Yes, I know.” Coach Kurosu rolls his eyes. “And I am focusin’ on the game, I’m focusin’ on my team. I’ve always got my team’s best interest in mind.” 

Y/N and Ginjima look at him with sparkles in their eyes. “Aww!! Coach~!” 

“Stop lookin’ at me like that! You kids are like puppies!” 

The two of them snicker, watching as Mujinazaka rotates for Usuri’s serve. It’ll be Kosaku’s serve in the next rotation. Knowing this, Coach Kurosu glances at Ginjima. 

“You good to go?” 

“…Yeah, I think so.” He chuckles. “Honestly, I don’t know why you still look after us, even though we cause you so much trouble.” 

“I was prepared to look after children.” Coach Kurosu deadpans. “If I wasn’t, I’d be coachin’ adults or university students. You lot are kids, literally. I knew what I was gettin’ into when I applied for the job y’know.” 

Ginjima stands up and starts stretching, warming up his body to prepare himself to return to the court. 

“You’re still kids, so don’t be too harsh on yourselves.” Coach Kurosu says, smiling encouragingly at them. “And if you’re ever not feelin’ up to it, I’ve got your back.” 

“Thank you, sir!” Ginjima grins. 

_Semi-finals: Mujinazaka – Inarizaki Match – Second Set_  
_Mujinazaka [17 – 16] Inarizaki_

**_Member Substitution_**  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #5 Ginjima Hitoshi_  
_OUT: #13 Kosaku Yuuto_

 _“It looks like Inarizaki will be substituting their starter back onto the court in the middle of the second set!”_

Ginjima smiles at Kosaku, high fiving him as they switch places. Walking onto the court, he rolls his eyes as he faces his teammates. 

“Oh? Gin, yer back~” Atsumu chimes. “Gonna stop bein’ a scrub now?” 

“Oi-” Ojiro warns, stopping when Ginjima starts laughing. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna stop bein’ a scrub now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this, you legally have to say "I love you Ginjima".
> 
> We love and support Ginjima in this household =3=  
> (While we're at it, let's love and support Coach Kurosu too-)
> 
> Oh boy :) What a nice chapter am I right? :) So cheerful :) Joyful :) Truly brings tears of joy to my eyes :) I love it :)
> 
> Honestly though, this chapter's a lot longer than I intended... XD It can technically be 2 chapters but I don't want to split it since I like the way it is~ =w= I've said it heaps of times but I've been constantly foreshadowing millions of things throughout the previous chapters (and current and future chapters-) so it's nice that one of the thing's has finally come together~ OuO
> 
> This chapter includes a lot of headcannons that I have for Ginjima (obviously), in that he most likely feels inferior to his teammates, and was almost definitely on the bench throughout his first year. I really love Ginjima, so I wanted to make sure he had his moments in this fic too =w= Afterall, he _is_ an Inarizaki second year, and one of Y/N's closest friends O3O So don't forget that!
> 
> Anywayyy, I am still, in fact, on Sakusa lockdown :D (shocker I know) And let me tell you, after seeing Sakusa's middle school uniform, I had no choice but to draw it :')
> 
> No one was going to give me the middle school Sakusa content I wanted... So I had no choice but to make it myself TT^TT I also made a purple version so if you want to see that you can check it out on my Instagram and Twitter XD
> 
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	24. The 'Talented'

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 4 – Semi-finals_

_Semi-finals: Mujinazaka – Inarizaki Match_

_FWEET!_

Y/N holds her breath, staring wide-eyed at the court in disbelief. She’s too scared to look at the scoreboard. 

Atsumu pants heavily as he slowly turns to Osamu, face devoid of emotion. 

“‘Samu, did we…?” 

“Yeah…” 

_“AND THE CROWD GOES WILD WITH EXCITEMENT! WHAT A FIERCE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO TOTAL POWERHOUSE SCHOOLS! AND AFTER A LONG AND INTENSE MATCH… INARIZAKI EMERGES VICTORIOUS!”_

_“THE STRONGEST CHALLENGERS, AN ABSOLUTE FAN FAVOURITE! INARIZAKI DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, INARIZAKI HIGH SCHOOL ADVANCES TO THE FINALS!”_

Dazed, Ginjima shakily turns to Suna in disbelief. “Suna… did I hear that right…?” 

“Yeah…” Suna mutters, smiling slightly. “We made it to Finals.” 

“ALRIGHT!!” They all yell as they jump into a group hug, laughing joyously as they celebrate their victory. After thanking the crowd for their support, Atsumu and Osamu tease Ginjima by ruffling his hair in excitement while Suna laughs at them. 

“Argh- Stop it!” Ginjima laughs. “I think I’ma cry!” 

“The cameras are rolling, so go ahead.” 

“Shuddup, Suna!” 

“You kids done bein’ kids?” Y/N teases, approaching the group and handing them towels to wipe off their sweat. “Or do I needa wait a little longer?” 

“N/N’S HERE! GROUP HUG!” Atsumu declares, pouting when she dodges him repeatedly. “Oi! Don’tcha wanna celebrate with us??” 

“I do. But yer all gross and sweaty.” She mutters in disgust. “I’m not gonna touch you guys until you each have a shower.” 

“She can’t dodge all of us.” Osamu states, lazily smirking. “Let’s go!” 

“Wait a minute-!” Y/N shrieks when the twins start chasing her around, laughing maniacally as she tries to run away. “Dammit! Leave me alone!” 

Suna laughs at this. “Oho ho! Lemme get my phone to film-” 

“Not the time, Suna.” Ginjima rolls his eyes, unwrapping his towel. Y/N quickly runs over to hide behind him, using him as a human shield. 

“You jerks can’t get me here!” 

Ginjima glances at her and smirks. “You sure ‘bout that? Wouldja really trust a fox?” 

“Wait-!” 

Ginjima laughs as he wraps his towel around Y/N before she can escape, pulling her into a hug and lifting her up off the ground. “You’re alright if there’s no contact, right?” 

“Gin! Nice!” The twins cheer, eyes sparkling as Suna laughs again. 

Y/N puffs her cheeks in annoyance as she glares at the three of them. “Hitoshi’s the only one allowed, ‘kay? So don’t get any- wait, stay awAY-!” 

The twins cackle maniacally as they throw their towels at her, jumping in on the group hug. Just as Atsumu opens his mouth to talk, Y/N knees him in the side. 

“Don’t say anythin’ heartfelt now boi.” 

“What?? Why not??” 

“Rintarou’s legit just standin’ there, grab ‘im.” 

They all turn their heads to look at Suna as he flinches, starting to sweat as he averts his eyes. “Uhh… I’m gonna go now…” 

“GRAB HIM!” 

Atsumu jumps out and grabs the back of Suna’s jersey, dragging him over to the group as Suna lets out a painful wheeze. 

“All around me are familiar faces…” 

“Yer bein’ dramatic, Suna.” Atsumu rolls his eyes, chuckling as he pushes Suna into the group hug. “Group hug complete! ‘Kay so as I was gonna say-!” 

“We made it to finals.” Osamu says, smiling happily. 

“Oi, I was gonna say that-!” 

“Yeah, we did. Damn, I can’t believe it.” Ginjima chuckles. “We really did it guys!” 

“Wait are you guys ignorin’-” 

“Playin’ a 5-set match with Itachiyama tomorrow? Damn, I’m getting tired just thinking about it.” Suna sighs, smiling lazily. “Oh well, I guess it’ll be kind of fun.” 

“I knew it! You guys are-!” 

“Just kind of fun?” Y/N asks, raising her eyebrow at Suna. “Why not say somethin’ like, _‘it’s an honour to represent our school and prefecture in Finals for the first time in years!’_ Or somethin’?” 

“OI! STOP IGNORIN’-!” 

“N/N, who d’ya think he is? The fact that he said it’s _‘kind of fun’_ is amazin’ already.” Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“I SAID-!” 

“Shuddup Atsumu!” They all yell in unison, laughing when he starts pouting. 

“…I hate you guys.” 

Coach Kurosu laughs as he watches the second years, smiling proudly as Coach Oomi looks at him with vague discomfort and concern. Noticing Coach Oomi’s judgement, Coach Kurosu raises his eyebrow at him. “What?” 

“Kurosu… I get that yer proud but…” He vaguely gestures to the second years. 

Coach Kurosu rolls his eyes at this. “What? Can’t I be proud of ‘em? Y’know they’re the future of Inarizaki, right?” 

“Yes, I’m painfully aware.” Coach Oomi deadpans as Coach Kurosu laughs at him. “We’re doomed.” 

“Maybe~! But lookin’ after a disaster every now and then sounds fun!” 

“You have a very twisted perception of ‘fun’.” 

**Winners: Inarizaki High School**

* * *

After winning Semi-finals, the Inarizaki members, especially the twins, Ojiro and Suna, get caught up in a number of interviews, giving Y/N the freedom and time to walk around the stadium and get away from the chaos of the team. Usually, she’d be hiding in the corner and mentally commentating over Atsumu’s interviews, visibly judging him and trying to distract him. But the adrenaline of victory leaves her cheerful and energetic enough to want to walk around for a bit. 

Leisurely strolling around the gym with her hands in her pockets, Y/N ignores the strangers that pass by, and the whispers that follow her. Maroon isn’t a colour that stands out much, but it does when it belongs to a Powerhouse school. The _‘INARIZAKI’_ boldly written on her back doesn’t help either. 

Rather than engaging in conversation and forcing unwanted confrontation, Y/N chooses to spend her time eavesdropping on everyone else’s conversations. 

Most of them are useless small talk, fleeting conversations with no meaning. A few people excitedly talk about the volleyball matches and their favourite players. Y/N smiles when she hears someone name Suna as their favourite player. 

None of their conversations really catch her attention, until she hears something that makes her scowl. 

“Argh… I hate that Miya Atsumu guy.” 

Halting in her steps, Y/N silently raises her eyebrow as she listens in on the conversation, leaning on the wall around the corner. 

“Same… his personality’s the worst!” 

_‘I mean… I guess that’s true?’_ Y/N silently thinks. It’s not unusual for Atsumu to have haters, being a highly skilled and famous high school volleyball player with good looks does that. It doesn’t help that his personality is less than pleasant at times. But being one of his closest friends makes hearing hate less than pleasurable. 

“I know right! I bet he thinks he’s better than all of us just because he’s so good and popular!” 

_‘That is also true.’_ Y/N mentally sighs. 

“Argh… That jerk… He really hit the jackpot, being born talented and all.” 

“Right? Like, us normal guys have it so tough! I bet he doesn’t even need to work that hard since he’s a natural born talent!” 

_‘Oh. I get it now.’_ Y/N scowls, suddenly wanting to but into their conversation. 

“Seriously, screw Miya Atsumu! He probably skips a bunch of practises and their team can’t do anything about it since he’s already so good!” 

“I know right… Like, if I had even half of his talent, I’d work so hard and I’d be wayyy better than he is.” 

“Same! Argh… I hate geniuses!” 

_‘Must resist…! Walk away…!’_ Y/N mentally screams at herself as she starts to walk towards them. _‘Argh, screw it.’_

Walking around the corner, Y/N turns to look at the two boys, volleyball players it seems, most likely eliminated in the early rounds. _‘If I internally call them pathetic, will they hear me?’_

The two boys visibly flinch when they see her, most likely intimidated by her maroon jacket, they frantically make eye contact with each other. 

“Dude, that’s Inarizaki’s manager…!” 

“Do you think she heard…?” 

_‘Yes, I heard. Afterall, I have ears, the same things I’m using to listen to your pathetic whispering even though I’m standing right in front of you.’_ Y/N mentally deadpans, face devoid of emotion as she looks at them. 

“U-um… hello…?” 

“Yes, hello.” Y/N responds curtly. 

_‘She’s frosty…!’_

“D-did you need something…?” 

_‘Yes, I need two new and functional brains so I can implant them into your empty heads.’_ Y/N mentally scowls, but she smiles externally. “Those things you said about Atsumu, did you really mean it?” 

The two boys flinch and start sweating under her unnervingly calm smile, frantically glancing at each other. The taller of the two nervously gulps as he responds. 

“Y-yeah… I mean, you’re Inarizaki’s manager, right? Surely you’d know better than anyone! He’s rude and skips practise all the time, right?” 

_‘Ha ha ha. You fool. You’ve just unlocked a lecture. Buckle up boys.’_

“Yes, I’m Inarizaki’s manager.” She confirms, nodding as she slowly walks closer. “So I can confirm, with absolute certainty, that Atsumu does not skip practise, ever.” 

The two idiots have the audacity to look shocked at this revelation. “W-what??” 

“I know. Shocker. One of the best high school players in the country? Practising? It’s almost like that’s the reason why he’s so good or somethin’!” Y/N gasps sarcastically, losing her stoic chill. 

The taller of the boy’s glares at her. “Enough of the attitude! Just admit you hate him as well!” 

“Hmm? But you asked me if he’s rude and skips practise all the time, you didn’t ask me if I hated him or not.” Y/N tilts her head as she taps her chin, shrugging as she looks up at the ceiling. “Kinda inconsistent if you ask me~” 

“Well we’re not asking!” 

“Funny, ‘coz that’s exactly what you were doin’ before~” Y/N shrugs, smiling sarcastically before instantly reverting back to her usual expressionless face, scaring them slightly. “You don’t really think Atsumu is as amazin’ as he is, because he’s a _‘natural born talent’_ , d’ya?” 

They remain silent as they watch her nervously, making her smile internally. _‘Oh good, they’re learning.’_

“ _‘Genius’_ , _‘talent’_ , they’re just excuses.” She states. “They’re just words people use to describe those that work the hardest… because they want to justify why they gave up, they need to justify why it isn’t easy.” 

Taking their silence as a cue to continue, Y/N keeps talking. 

“I do believe that _‘talent’_ exists to an extent… There are people that pick things up faster, that have a starting point ahead of most others… But it’s just their starting point. Don’t you dare try to dismiss all of Atsumu’s efforts. Don’t you dare say it’s just his _‘talent’_ , because he’s a _‘genius’_.” 

“His skill wasn’t given to him at all, it’s a result of all the meticulous hard work he’s put in over the years. _‘He’s a natural born talent!’_ Just say you wish you were like him and go.” 

The boys grit their teeth as they avert their gaze, not knowing what to say to her. Sighing at this, Y/N crosses her arms as she stares at them boredly. 

“Aren’tcha tired of bein’ jealous? Aren’tcha gonna actually do somethin’ now? Or are you gonna keep tryna bring down those that are above you? Great use of your petty jealousy if you ask me.” She says nonchalantly, watching them carefully. 

“Tch…” They grumble under their breath, backing away slightly. 

“You said so yourself, didn’tcha? I know better than anyone.” Y/N shrugs, suddenly feeling self-conscious for talking too much. “Yeah you’re right, Atsumu’s rude, but I’ve never seen anyone that works harder than he does.” 

“Right… good luck with Finals tomorrow…” One of them mutters as they stiffly walk away, not wanting to be around her any longer. 

Y/N watches them as they leave, once they’re out of sight she sighs, hitting her head against the wall. _‘I hate confrontation.’_

Sighing once again, Y/N turns around and flinches in shock when she sees Bokuto peeking around the corner, his hair sticking out dramatically. 

“Hey hey hey…?” He cheers sheepishly, standing up straight and walking over to her. “That was so cool! Uhh-?” 

“Her name is L/N-san, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi sighs as he walks around the corner, approaching the two of them. “I’m apologise, L/N-san, but Bokuto-san insisted that he wanted to listen to what you said.” 

“Umm…” 

“I didn’t get it at all, but it sounded cool!” Bokuto laughs. “You really showed them!” 

“What did she show them, Bokuto-san?” 

“Ehh, she showed them… She showed them something!” He laughs again as Akaashi sighs tiredly. 

“I apologise for him as well.” 

“AkaAsHi!!” Bokuto whines as Y/N chuckles, smiling. 

“It’s alright, Bokuto-senpai’s cheerfulness is a nice relief from the tension I created unnecessarily.” She says, sighing under her breath as Akaashi smiles. 

“I wouldn’t say it was unnecessary, you were simply defending a friend.” 

“Oh?? Is that what she was doing?!” Bokuto asks, suddenly recovering from his sulking. “Then that makes you a hundred times cooler L/N-chan! Super _duper_ cool!” 

“Bokuto-san, don’t act so familiar, it’s rude.” 

“Hah?? What are you saying Akaashi??” 

Y/N lets out a laugh at their dynamic. “It’s fine, Akaashi-san. You two are entertainin’ to be around.” 

“Of course!” 

“…I am not sure if that’s a compliment.” Akaashi mutters. “Anyway, why are you alone, L/N-san? You’re usually accompanied by someone from your volleyball team, I doubt I’ve ever seen you separated from them.” 

“Well, the team’s currently caught up with interviews, so I was usin’ the time to walk around.” Y/N shrugs. “They’re probably finishin’ up now so I should be headin’ back soon.” 

“Interviews??” Bokuto’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Akaashi! I want to have interviews!” 

“Bokuto-san, you had interviews yesterday.” Akaashi says simply. 

“Oh? Did I?” Bokuto tilts his head in thought. “Maybe I did!” Laughing joyously to himself as Y/N and Akaashi sweat drop. 

Bokuto turns to look at Y/N as he smiles brightly. “Anyway! You said you need to get back to your team soon, right? Me and Akaashi can walk you back!” 

“Oh, don’t worry it’s fine-” 

Akaashi sighs tiredly. “There’s no point refusing Bokuto-san, he’s already made up his mind anyway.” 

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” Bokuto cheers in excitement as they start walking down the corridor towards the Inarizaki team, gaining the attention of literally everyone in the vicinity, much to Y/N and Akaashi’s discomfort. “To Inarizaki! Here we go!” 

“Bokuto-senpai, please keep it down.” 

“SENPAI!??!!” He excitedly turns around with sparkles in his eyes. Akaashi physically turns Bokuto’s head back and forces him to keep walking. 

“Ignore that, Bokuto-san.” He says as they continue walking, turning to Y/N and smiling apologetically. “I apologise for him, but it would probably be best to refrain from referring to him as… that…” 

“Ah, ‘kay.” Y/N says, chuckling under her breath. “You must be havin’ a lot of fun, bein’ around Bokuto-san so much.” 

“… _‘Fun’_ would not be the word I would use to describe it.” Akaashi mutters. 

“Oh, Y/N, you’re back.” Suna says simply, looking bored. “Thought you got lost or died or something.” 

“Your thoughts sound pleasant, Rintarou.” Y/N deadpans. 

Osamu looks at the two people beside her. _‘Fukurodani’s Bokuto and Setter…?’_

“Ohhh!!! You’re…?! Ehh, you’re…” Bokuto rubs his chin in thought as he looks at Osamu. “You’re…” 

“That is Miya Osamu, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi says simply. 

“Ohh!!” 

“Ahh, there you are, Y/N!” Ginjima calls, approaching the group before he flinches when he sees the Fukurodani members. “Eh- Hello?” 

“Gin, there’s no need to be so scared.” Suna mutters as he rolls his eyes. “Thanks for returning her to us.” 

“Haha we’re not returning her! We were just walking her back! Right, Akaashi??” 

“Right.” 

“See!” 

The Inarizaki second years silently glance at each other, now really knowing how to interact with the two Fukurodani members. Y/N decides to just ask something completely different instead. 

“Where’s Atsumu?” 

“He’s still got interviews.” Osamu mutters as he rolls his eyes. “He should be done soon though, but you never know, that turd never seems to run out of things to talk about.” 

“Maybe he’s holding the interviewers hostage.” Suna jokes, smirking as he returns to his phone. 

“Ehh?? Would he do that?” Bokuto asks seriously. 

“Ye-” 

“No, he wouldn’t.” Y/N interrupts Suna, not letting him joke around with Bokuto. “Rintarou’s just jokin’.” 

“Oh I see!” Bokuto says. “I don’t get you at all!” 

“That’s a blessin’ in disguise.” Y/N sighs. “Anyway, thank you for walkin’ me back, it was nice talkin’ to the two of you.” 

“It was a pleasure.” Akaashi smiles while Bokuto beams brightly. 

“All good! See ya later L/N-chan!!” 

“Seeya.” She calls as they walk away, waving at her. 

“They seem interesting.” Suna says simply. “You finally making friends?” 

“The fact that you said _‘finally’_ annoys me…” Y/N mutters as she rolls her eyes. “‘Friends’ is too strong, try acquaintances.” 

“Yeah Suna, remember that N/N doesn’t like people bein’ too close.” Osamu interjects. “Remember how long it took for her to consider us as ‘friends’ rather than, ‘fellow clubmates’?” 

“You guys _are_ still fellow clubmates though.” She rolls her eyes. “What’s takin’ Atsumu so long anyways? Should we crash his interview or somethin’?” 

“Y/N! Don’t suggest something so irresponsible!” Suna fake gasps as he starts collecting all his stuff. “But since you want to, I have no choice but to join you. I’m such a good friend.” 

“I’m always down to make ‘Tsumu’s life harder.” Osamu pipes up, also collecting his things. “Let’s go.” 

Ginjima just sighs as he watches the three of them prepare to leave, they innocently turn to him and smile, waiting for his verdict. “…Fine.” 

“Coach! We’re gonna go to Atsumu!” Y/N calls, interrupting his conversation with Oomimi and Ojiro as he turns to them. 

“Alright, make sure all five of you are back in ten minutes, we needa get back to the hotel to rest for tomorrow’s game.” 

“Alright~!” 

Atsumu continues cheerfully talking to the last interviewer as she nods eagerly, completely enthralled in whatever he’s saying. 

Meanwhile, the other four Inarizaki second years watch him boredly, standing in a straight line with their arm’s crossed, staring at him with dead faces. 

Once he finishes chatting with the interviewer, he thanks her as he goes to join the group. At least he’s polite to the interviewers. 

“It’s alright guys, I get it, yer jealous.” 

“Osamu, do you hear somethin’?” Y/N asks boredly. “I thought I just heard this annoyin’ buzzing…” 

“Oh what a coincidence, I heard it too.” Osamu confirms. 

“I didn’t hear anything, but there’s this awful stench in the air.” Suna adds, wrinkling his nose. “Ew.” 

“Wow. Rude.” 

“How were your interviews, Atsumu?” Ginjima asks. 

“They were good~” Atsumu cheers lazily as they start walking back to their team. “Bit tired though, might get back and nap a bit.” 

“He said, as he proceeded to stay awake and watch Itachiyama game clips.” Osamu narrates. “Yer not foolin’ anyone, ‘Tsumu.” 

“Whatever. We’re gonna win tomorrow, so we should prepare extra so we can obliterate ‘em!” 

“Wow, so confident.” 

“Modest too…” 

“Shuddup! We’re gonna win!” 

“So, if we lose the game tomorrow, what are you gonna do?” Y/N asks. 

“Whaddya mean?” 

“If you’re so confident, then there’s no problem makin’ promises for what you’d do if we don’t win.” Y/N shrugs, as the rest of the boys agree. “So whatchu gonna do?” 

“Uhh… I’ll practise extra…?” 

“You already do that.” Ginjima deadpans. “In fact, you might wanna cut back on all those extra hours, Winter’s comin’ so the sun won’t be out as long.” 

“It’s literally still Summer but go off I guess.” 

“Atsumu.” Y/N starts. “If we lose the game tomorrow, you have to clean your room.” 

“What?? What about ‘Samu??” Atsumu whines childishly, stomping his feet. 

“Just because yer womb- ROOMMATES, doesn’t mean you should rely on him all the time.” Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“Yeah, ‘Tsumu.” 

“Oh my gosh they were wombmatesss…!” Suna whispers under his breath as Ginjima rolls his eyes. 

“Anyway, deal?” 

“No way! I’d rather die!” 

“Go ahead, we’re not stoppin’ you.” She shrugs. 

Suna perks up at this. “In my case, it’s not that I’d rather die, I just want to die.” 

“Why don’t you two just die together then?” Osamu suggests. 

“Ohh like Romeo and Juliet?” 

“Who’d be Romeo though?” Y/N asks. 

“I dibs being Juliet.” Suna declares. “I want to drink that sleep death potion thing. You better be dead when I wake up, Atsumu, bleeding out and all that.” 

“What?? But I wanna be Juliet!” Atsumu whines. “What if you call it quits as soon as you wake up?? And I die all alone??” 

“You really think I’d pass up on a chance for death just to troll you?” Suna raises his eyebrow. 

“Ohh this is like _‘Would you Rather’_!” Y/N says enthusiastically. “Would you rather die, or bully Atsumu?” 

“Both are equally appealin’ to me.” Osamu says. 

“This whole conversation really makes me wanna run away… join a new school… maybe get a new identity while I’m at it.” Ginjima mutters. 

“…Are we interrupting something?” 

The five Inarizaki second years turn around to find Komori and Sakusa casually standing behind them, Komori looking mildly concerned while Sakusa appears as disinterested as always. 

“Just an average conversation with Inarizaki.” Y/N chuckles. “Congrats for makin’ it to Finals, we look forward to versin’ you two tomorrow.” 

“Thanks!” Komori laughs. “Your game with Mujinazaka was so epic! We watched the whole thing! You guys always seem like you’re having so much fun!” 

“Interesting choice of words, but I’ll allow it.” Suna shrugs. 

“We plan on winnin’ tomorrow y’know.” Atsumu declares. “So you better watch out!” 

“You better not cry…” Suna mutters under his breath as everyone else mentally face palms. 

“Everyone came here with victory as their goal.” Sakusa states. “So it’s useless for you to say you plan on winning, everyone does.” 

_‘Oh, here comes the Sakusa and Atsumu rivalry.’_ They all mentally deadpan, preparing for the free entertainment. 

“What didja say??” 

“Do I need to repeat myself, Miya? Or do you need me to explain?” 

“Feelin’ a little attacked right now, not gonna lie.” Osamu mutters under his breath as Suna snorts. 

Atsumu glares at Sakusa. “No need to explain, Sakusa. We’re gonna beat you tomorrow, that’s it.” 

“The future is uncertain, so don’t say that so confidently.” Sakusa rolls his eyes, much to everyone’s (except Atsumu’s) amusement. 

“Oh yeah?? Well, foxes eat weasels for breakfast!” 

“Huh, do they?” Osamu asks. 

Y/N shrugs. “No idea. Rintarou, fact check.” 

Taking out his phone, Suna quickly Googles it. “Well, according to the first Google search, foxes can eat weasels, so yeah.” 

“Ohh that’s interesting.” Y/N says, looking over at his phone. “Can weasels eat foxes though?” 

“That’s a good question.” Osamu says, also looking at his phone. 

“CAN’TCHA SEE I’M TRYNA INTIMIDATE HIM??” Atsumu groans. 

“Oh, you were?” Y/N asks. 

Osamu shrugs. “Couldn’t tell.” 

“You should have said so before, we would have given you dramatic sound effects.” Suna says, shaking his head in disappointment. “Wasted opportunities.” 

“Uhh guys, not to be that person, but we’re kinda runnin’ out of time on our ten minute time limit thing…” Ginjima mutters. “We should get back to the team now…” 

“Oh! Sorry to hold you up!” Komori apologises. “We should probably get back to our teams too!” 

“There’s no need to apologise, Komori-kun.” Y/N sighs. “If anything, we held ourselves up.” 

“Haha! Well, your conversations are pretty funny!” Komori chuckles before waving at them. “Anyway, we’ll leave you guys now. See you tomorrow!” 

“Bye!” They wave back while Atsumu continues glaring at Sakusa’s back until Osamu whacks the back of his head. 

“Geh-! ‘Samu!” 

Rolling her eyes at the immature twins, Y/N ignores them as she starts walking back with Suna and Ginjima. “We needa get back you know, hurry up.” 

Atsumu grumbles under his breath as he jogs to catch up with them, while Osamu smirks lazily and follows behind. 

* * *

“Ohh! That’s me on TV!” Atsumu cheers, pointing to himself as his interview plays. 

“Ew, no wonder why I thought the guy looked ugly.” Osamu mutters in distain. 

“WE HAVE THE SAME FACE!” 

“Wow, don’t insult Osamu like that.” Y/N rolls her eyes, cringing when their game clips start playing on television, showing videos of her watching them from the bench. “Ew. Why am I on TV too.” 

“‘Coz yer part of the team, N/N~” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “Most of the managers make it onto TV as well y’know, plus you were on last year, it’s no different.” 

“Yeah but like, I didn’t consent to this. I’ma sue.” 

“With what money?” 

“Shut up, I’ll sue you too.” 

“If it makes you feel better, you look good Y/N!” Ginjima encourages, smiling at her. 

She smiles weakly in response. “Thanks Hitoshi, but you don’t needa try make me feel better… It’s alright… I know the truth…” She mutters dejectedly, sulking to herself as the rest of them panic. 

“D-don’t worry N/N! You look cool!” Atsumu says. “Seriously! You do!” 

“Right…” 

“I agree with ‘Tsumu for once, so you know it’s facts.” Osamu says. “Seriously N/N, you’re fine.” 

“Yeah, you look like one of those mysterious ice princess girls from the animes, the ones that no one knows anything about and doesn’t show emotion.” Suna chuckles. 

“Did you just call me a b-” 

“Don’t swear!!” Ginjima cuts in, facepalming at Suna’s analogy. 

“I wasn’t gonna.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Anyway, thanks guys. I needa get back to my room now, don’t wanna stay up here too late and disturb Kagawa-chan and Inoue-chan when I get back. Make sure you guys get to bed soon.” 

“I know I will.” Suna says, smirking as everyone rolls their eyes. 

“We will, I don’t make promises for Atsumu though.” Ginjima says. 

“I will!” 

* * *

Atsumu stares at his phone screen intensely, carefully analysing the recordings of Itachiyama’s games. He knows he should be resting for tomorrow, but he wants to squeeze in a few more minutes to analyse. 

Suddenly, he hears footsteps outside the door and he quickly turns his phone off and shoves it under his pillow, pulling his blanket over himself and pretending to sleep. 

Someone knocks on the door quietly. “It’s Coach Kurosu, just comin’ in to check on ya because I’m not stupid and I know yer awake Atsumu.” He quietly opens the door, walks in and sighs. 

“I’m not stupid, Atsumu.” Coach Kurosu mutters as Atsumu still pretends to be asleep. “Your actin’ is literally so bad.” 

Sighing, Coach Kurosu approaches Atsumu and stares at him with unimpressed eyes. Atsumu nervously sweats, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as Coach Kurosu keeps staring at him, feeling his stare of disapproval. Maybe if he keeps pretending he’s asleep, he’d believe him. 

Sighing once again, Coach Kurosu puts his hand under Atsumu’s pillow and takes his phone. “Oh, what a surprise. The phone is hot.” He mutters sarcastically. “Almost as if someone’s been usin’ it.” 

Atsumu instantly opens his eyes and grabs Coach Kurosu’s arm, staring at him with pleading eyes. “I can explain-!” 

Coach Kurosu chuckles as he rolls his eyes. “Don’t bother, I already know what you were doin’.” 

Atsumu pouts as Coach Kurosu puts his phone in his pocket. 

“Get some sleep, Atsumu, we need you for the game tomorrow y’know. Last minute revision ain’t gonna do much if yer tired.” 

“Yes coach…” 

“Good.” Coach Kurosu chuckles, fixing Atsumu’s blanket. “We don’t want ya to get sick y’know, so make sure you keep warm and get enough sleep.” 

Atsumu sighs at this. “Yes coach…” 

Once Coach Kurosu leaves (with Atsumu’s phone), Atsumu sighs as he settles into bed, staring at the bottom of Osamu’s top bunk in thought. After a few minutes, he slowly starts to close his eyes. 

"Wow I can't believe you got caught being on your phone. Loser."

"Suna?!?!?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter literally made me smile so much while writing XD Especially in the group hug =w= I hope it got you to smile too~
> 
> I'm really looking forward to writing the Itachiyama VS Inarizaki match in the next chapter XD It'll be really difficult since we've never seen anything about Itachiyama's play style, but I have been researching thoroughly to try bring something unique and I hope it's okay :')) Unfortunately, I have a million deadlines in the coming weeks and my schedule is so full so I'm not sure how fast updates will come :'D but I'll still try to keep up with my usual speed! 
> 
> Anyway~ I said I was going to draw High School Sakusa and I did... XD This'll be the last Sakusa fanart in a while (due to deadlines and everything) so ya O3O
> 
> Lowkey really proud because I think this is the first time that I don't mind the radioactive neon unripe banana uniform 😭😭 Dare I say it looks pretty good...? Maybe I'm becoming desensitised to the colours but I don't know 😭😭
> 
>   
> Anyway, I've been getting notifications of comments and stuff on the earlier chapters, and I really love them because it means more people are discovering this fic =w= It's kind of funny to me though because I'm like "ahh =w= they do not know what's happening in the future chapters... heh." 
> 
> But in all honesty, no one except me knows what's happening in the coming chapters O3O huehuehue... the power I hold... XD It's pretty funny to me for some reason XD
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ =w= The Interhigh arc will be finishing in a few chapters... feels strange since I feel like we've just started XD But oh well~ Sometimes I laugh because the Interhigh arc is finishing, and then I remember what I've got planned as the next arc :)
> 
> ~~~  
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	25. Rivals

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 5 – Finals_

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match_

It’s finally the last day of the Interhigh National Volleyball Tournament. The final round. And tomorrow, they’ll be going back to Hyogo. But for now… 

_“Welcome to the last day of the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as the Interhigh Tournament. The matches for the Boy’s Finals and Girl’s Finals will begin later as scheduled.”_

Y/N flicks through her notebook one last time before turning to look at her teammates, finding them engaged in their own activities. While Atsumu’s currently spending his time carefully analysing the print outs of the Itachiyama team that she’d prepared earlier, Osamu boredly looks over Atsumu’s shoulder, also diligently reading the notes. 

Ginjima takes multiple deep breaths, using various breathing techniques to calm himself and keep his focus. In contrast, Suna’s stretching on the floor, leaning forward and twisting his torso around as he does the splits, all while his eyes are glued to his phone. Y/N’s used to this by now. 

Putting her notebook down, Y/N stands up and goes to sit next to Osamu, gaining his attention. They don’t bother disturbing Atsumu. 

“Finally the last day, huh?” 

“You make it sound like we’re dying in battle today or somethin’.” Osamu rolls his eyes. “But yeah, honestly doesn’t feel like the last day though.” 

“Mmm, hardly feels like we’ve started to be honest.” She hums, swinging her legs back and forth as she sits on her hands. “It’s all been a blur, I hardly remember what the first day was like.” 

“Maybe ‘coz you haven’t been playin’ on the court, believe me, I can feel every moment in my legs.” Osamu mutters. 

“If you’re experiencin’ muscle pain, maybe you should join Rintarou and do some stretching.” 

“That’s beyond pain, my body would break.” 

* * *

_“We will now begin the Japanese National High School Volleyball Tournament, Boy’s Finals. Hyogo Prefecture Representative Inarizaki High School, versus Tokyo Prefecture Representative Itachiyama Academy.”_

Kita and Iizuna approach each other to shake hands, smiling competitively at each other before departing to join their teams. 

_“We will now introduce the Inarizaki High School starting line-up.”_

_“Number 2, Oomimi Ren.”_

Oomimi jogs out as the crowd cheers for him, nodding to Y/N and the coaches as he high fives them before jogging onto the court, lifting his hand in acknowledgement to the crowd. 

_“Number 4, Ojiro Aran.”_

The crowd cheers loudly as Ojiro jogs onto the court, high fiving Y/N and the coaches. He smiles confidently as he jogs onto the court, waving to the audience as they start cheering louder. 

_“Number 5, Ginjima Hitoshi.”_

High fiving Y/N and the coaches, Ginjima grins at them as he jogs onto the court, waving at the crowds as they cheer for him also. 

_“Number 7, Miya Atsumu.”_

The crowd cheers loudly in excitement as Atsumu jogs onto the court, smirking as he high fives Y/N and the coaches. A large group of fans start reciting a fan chant, gaining another smirk from Atsumu as he waves at them in acknowledgement, jogging onto the court. 

_“Number 10, Suna Rintarou.”_

Suna lightly jogs over to Y/N and the coaches as he high fives them, nodding towards them as he jogs onto the court, paying no mind to the excited fans. 

_“Number 11, Miya Osamu.”_

Osamu also jogs over to them, giving them each a high five before he waves at his supporters and jogs onto the court. 

_“Number 15, Libero, Akagi Michinari.”_

Grinning widely, Akagi cheers as he jogs towards Y/N and the coaches, high fiving them as he jogs onto the court, giving his fans a peace sign as they cheer loudly. 

_“Coach, Kurosu Norimune.”_

Y/N and Coach Oomi clap as Coach Kurosu smiles, waving at everyone as they cheer for him. Smiling, Y/N plays with her fingers behind her back as she turns to look at the other side of the court, watching and waiting for Itachiyama’s announcements. 

_“Next, we will introduce the Itachiyama Academy starting line-up.”_

_“Number 1, Iizuna Tsukasa.”_

Iizuna smiles confidently as he jogs over to his coaches, giving them both high fives before he jogs onto the court. The crowd cheers loudly for him and he smiles, lifting his hand in the air in acknowledgement. 

_“Number 2, Nagaoka Yuki.”_

The tall middle blocker jogs over to his coaches and high fives them as well, nodding towards them as he jogs onto the court. Hearing the loud cheers, he smiles slightly as he waves at his fans. 

_“Number 4, Tabata Mousuke.”_

The crowds cheer with excitement as Tabata jogs out, high fiving his coaches as he smiles confidently, giving the audience a thumbs up. 

_“Number 7, Nanase Takumi.”_

Nanase grins cheerfully at the audience as they cheer for him, chanting his name. High fiving his coaches, he flicks his dark side-swept hair as he gives his fans a peace sign before jogging onto the court. 

_“Number 8, Takahashi Kanou.”_

The tall middle blocker lightly jogs over to his coaches, high fiving them and smiling politely as he jogs onto the court, paying the excited audience no mind as they cheer for him. 

_“Number 10, Sakusa Kiyoomi.”_

The crowd cheers loudly in excitement as Sakusa jogs onto the court, nodding towards his coaches in acknowledgment as he ignores his cheering fans. 

_“Number 13, Libero, Komori Motoya.”_

Komori cheerfully high fives his coaches as he flashes a smile to the audience, giving them a peace sign as he jogs onto the court. 

_“Coach, Clarke Noah."_

The audience cheers and claps for Itachiyama’s head coach, he smiles as he waves at the crowds in acknowledgement. 

_“Ladies and gentlemen, please cheer for both teams and wish them the best.”_

Both teams stand proudly in front of the spectators as they clap and cheer for them, the Inarizaki cheer squad and Itachiyama cheer squad doing their best to drown each other out in support for their team. The starting players move into their position as they prepare for Atsumu’s serve. 

Y/N takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, focusing her attention onto the court. The game’s about to begin. 

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Itachiyama_

The cameras focus on the court as the fans of both teams cheer and wait in anticipation. It’s finally the moment they’ve been waiting for. 

_FWEET!_

Atsumu takes six steps from the end line as the Inarizaki band blasts their theme song, hyping up the crowd.

Slowly raising his fist in the air, Atsumu keeps his eyes trained to the ground as he silences the stadium. Everyone holds their breath in anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu throws the volleyball into the air as he runs up for his spike serve, slamming his hand into it as it smashes towards Komori and Sakusa. Komori instantly shifts his stance and receives the ball, gaining cheers from the crowd. 

_“An excellent serve from none other than Miya Atsumu! However, it’s saved on the first try! By none other than Itachiyama’s Komori Motoya!”_

“Alright!” Komori cheers. 

“Iizuna!” “Got it!” 

Iizuna positions himself to set the ball, his form not giving anything away to Inarizaki’s blockers. Jumping up, he sets the ball. 

_‘Damn he’s good…’_ Atsumu thinks in awe. 

“Nanase!” 

Osamu and Suna jump up to block Nanase, barely touching the ball as he spikes it down. 

“One-touch!” 

Akagi dives for the ball, keeping it in play as he sends it over to Atsumu. 

“Atsumu!” “Got it!” 

The Itachiyama team watches Atsumu carefully, knowing that he’d probably go for a fast and flashy play like he always does. 

“Hup!” Atsumu jumps up to toss the ball. “Gin!” 

As soon as Atsumu’s fingers toss the ball, Nagaoka instantly lines up to block Ginjima, staring intently at him as he prepares to spike. 

_‘Tch… so fast already…’_ Ginjima frowns as he spikes, aiming for a wipe. 

_BAM!_

Komori runs after the ball as it bounces off of Nagaoka’s arms and out of bounds, not making it in time. 

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Itachiyama_

“Nice kill! Hitoshi! Hitoshi!” 

_“And the first point goes to Inarizaki! It seems like both teams are already playing extremely well, already starting in a rally!”_

_“Indeed! And I think we can expect even longer rallies to come! Itachiyama fails to score a point on Atsumu’s serve, so now it’s his second serve!”_

Atsumu stares intently at the Itachiyama team before he turns around at takes four steps from the end line. Silencing the crowd once more, he tosses the ball into the air. 

The Final match has just begun. 

_Inarizaki [19 – 23] Itachiyama_

_“Another amazing spike from none other than Sakusa Kiyoomi! A star player who is one of the country’s top 3, the definition of a National Top 3 Ace!”_

“Argh… it’s annoyin’ that he’s so good…!” Atsumu groans, appearing physically repulsed by Sakusa’s skill. “Can’t he just, y’know, not be so good??” 

“Maybe you just needa get better, scrub.” Osamu mutters, rolling his eyes as they rotate for Sakusa’s serve. 

Atsumu lets out an offended gasp. “‘Samu! How couldja??” 

_‘Osamu’s starting to pick up Atsumu’s vocabulary… this is bad…’_ Suna thinks to himself from the bench, glad that he’s not on the court for Sakusa’s serve. _‘I don’t want to deal with two Atsumu’s.’_

Y/N winces as she glances at the scoreboard, the odds don’t seem too good for the first set, it doesn’t help that it’s Sakusa’s serve. 

“Shouldn’t we use our second timeout, Coach?” She asks as she turns to look at Coach Kurosu. “Or areya waitin’ for set point?” 

“I’m not necessarily waitin’, just think it would be most beneficial to stop the momentum on set point.” Coach Kurosu shrugs. “Plus, we can give the back line a chance to try dig Sakusa’s serve before we discuss it.” 

“True…” Y/N mutters, turning back to the court as she watches Sakusa toss the volleyball back and forth between his hands. “I just don’t think takin’ a timeout at set point is gonna do much…” 

“Sakusa! Nice serve!” 

Ignoring the cheers of the Itachiyama band, Sakusa tosses the ball as he runs up for his serve. 

_BAM!_

With an amazing curve, the ball rockets towards Ojiro as he positions to receive, he grits his teeth as it rebounds off his arms and flies behind him despite his positioning. “Aka-!” 

Akagi dives to connect the ball, managing to keep the ball in play. 

“Michinari!” Coach Kurosu gasps in delight, clapping excitedly as Y/N and Suna laugh. 

“Osamu!” “Got it!” 

Osamu sends the ball over the net. 

“Alright!” Iizuna calls, jumping up and spiking the ball down on the first touch before the back row can get back into position. 

_Inarizaki [19 – 24] Itachiyama_

“WHAT THE HECK!?!” Coach Kurosu and Ojiro yell in exasperation, groaning as Itachiyama cheers for their Captain’s amazing play. 

“Nice kill! Iizuna! Iizuna!” 

“Hnng-! That was so cool…!” Atsumu fanboys as he watches Iizuna. “Watchin’ him up close makes him even cooler…!” 

“Why is it that when you’re in the middle of a game, your mental age drops by five years?” Osamu deadpans. 

“Shut it!” 

_Inarizaki High School_  
_Second Timeout_

The players return to their benches as Coach Kurosu signals for their second timeout, wiping their sweat off on the towels Y/N gives them and taking a quick water break. 

“Excellent job gettin’ that serve up, Aran, and an amazing follow, Michinari.” Coach Kurosu says as they grin. “Sakusa’s spin is nasty, but I don’t have any doubts ‘bout our back line durin’ his serve, so there’s no need to worry.” 

“You guys were able to adjust to Ushijima-senpai’s spin, so I don’t think we’ll have issues gettin’ used to Sakusa-san’s spin in the comin’ sets also.” Y/N says. “Spins are generally hard to control anyway, so he’s bound to make a few mistakes. Obviously with Itachiyama, there aren’t many holes, so rather than finding them and exploiting them, we need to focus on our own strengths to win.” 

“Their blocking’s already pretty fast and accurate, most likely thanks to Nagaoka, so we’ll probably needa do more fast-paced and complex plays to throw their blockers off.” Ojiro adds as Atsumu grins. 

“Done and done. Leave it to me~” 

“Be sure to not rush your plays, rushed attacks pale in comparison to a solid and simple attack.” Kita warns, staring each of the starting players in the eye. “You can keep your complex plays, but be sure to keep a steady rhythm.” 

“…Yes, Kita-san.” 

“As for the blockin’…” Ojiro continues as they all turn to look at Suna and Oomimi. 

“What.” 

“Don’t just _‘what’_ us, Suna.” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “Is yer engine warmin’ up or d’ya still need a bit more time.” 

“Our blocks are already known to evolve over the course of the match, I’m sure that Itachiyama will be more wary of our blockin’ the more the game progresses. Just trust us with the timing.” Oomimi states seriously as Suna nods along. 

“Yeah, what he said.” 

“…Somehow, Suna’s words don’t reassure me.” Osamu mutters as Atsumu nods along. 

Kita thinks for a bit. “I don’t think we have anythin’ to worry about. Ren and Suna have always delivered results, have they ever let us down?” 

Atsumu opens his mouth to speak but Ojiro slaps his hand over it. “Yer right Kita, there’s nothin’ to worry about!” 

Once their timeout ends, they return back to the court for Sakusa’s second serve. 

_“And after Inarizaki’s second timeout, we return to Sakusa’s second serve! With Itachiyama on set point and Inarizaki falling behind, Inarizaki will really need to make sure they can shut down Sakusa right now if they want a chance at taking the set!”_

“The faith is strong I see.” Suna mutters as he watches from the sidelines. _‘We’re going to drop this set anyway, it’s not realistic to think that we’d somehow score that many consecutive points against Itachiyama…’_

“Hey you, Suna, didja just think that there’s no chance that we’d take this set? You givin’ up already?” Kita asks, making everyone on the bench flinch. They don’t want to admit that they were all thinking the same thing. 

“…” Suna wisely keeps silent, keeping his eyes on the match as a rally between the two powerhouse teams starts. 

“I’ll admit, we most likely aren’t goin’ to take the first set, it’s a logical conclusion when lookin’ at the scoreboard.” Kita says, also watching the match. “But, you see those monsters on the court? The kind of monsters who love volleyball day after day, they’re givin’ it their all, regardless of the score. The only thought on their mind is gettin’ the next point. Keep that in mind for the next set.” 

_FWEET!_

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [19 – 25] Itachiyama_

_“And Itachiyama takes the first set! It seems like Tokyo’s champion school isn’t wavering even against a total powerhouse school like Inarizaki!”_

_“That’s true. But remember, Inarizaki’s known for being a slow starter, so Itachiyama can’t celebrate too soon! What an exhilarating match, I can’t imagine the intensity of the future sets!”_

“Wakatoshi-kun~ Seems like Itachiyama took the first set~” Tendou chimes as he watches with his teammates. 

“Yeah.” 

“Argh I’m totally torn! I want Inarizaki to be destroyed to make that _Bendy Boy_ lose! But we lost to them so I don’t want them to be destroyed too much!” 

“I see.” 

“Itachiyama! Defeat Inarizaki but not too much! Enough but not so that it’s embarrassing!” Tendou yells as Semi frantically tries to shush him. 

“Tendou! Shut up!” 

“Hnng-! It should be fine anyway.” Tendou sighs as he flops back onto his seat. “I mean, in terms of Youkai, Kamaitachi’s are wayyy more feared than Kitsune’s~” 

Confused, Goshiki whispers to Shirabu. “What’s Tendou-san talking about…?” 

“Go away.” 

* * *

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [16 – 18] Itachiyama_

“Nanase nice serve!” 

Nanase bounces the ball a few times as he prepares for his serve, waiting for the whistle. 

_FWEET!_

Tossing the ball into the air, Nanase runs up for his spike serve, sending a powerful serve straight towards Atsumu. 

“Atsumu!” 

“Oh!” Atsumu receives the jump serve, managing to get it up. 

_“Miya Atsumu has the first touch!! Meanwhile, Miya Osamu has immediately positioned himself underneath the ball!”_

Osamu jumps up and sends a Quick Set to Suna, Nagaoka grits his teeth as he tries to run up and catch up with Suna, jumping up to block him. 

Suna, completely unbothered, bends his torso and spikes around the block, easily scoring the point. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 18] Itachiyama_

“Nice kill! Rintarou! Nice kill! Rintarou! Give us another!” 

_“That toss just now was done by Miya Osamu, who is not Inarizaki’s Setter! It’s not unusual to see a set-up done by a player other than the team Setter, but to see a First Tempo Quick Attack unleashed like it was nothing… Well, I guess I don’t know what to say except that this is what you’d expect from these guys! Inarizaki continues to unleash their unconventional plays! Truly a highly skilled team!”_

“Oh? Were you just trying to block me? Sorry, better luck next time.” Suna says, smiling slightly at Nagaoka as he glares back at him. 

“I don’t need luck, you’re not unstoppable.” 

“Give us a nice serve, Gin!” 

Ginjima takes a few deep breaths, preparing himself for his serve. Tossing the ball into the air, he sends a powerful Spike Serve over to Nanase. 

“Nanase!” “Hnng-!” 

The ball bounces off of Nanase’s arms and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 18] Itachiyama_

_“Ginjima-kun scores with a fierce Service Ace! Bringing the set to a tie! Can he continue with the momentum and help gain Inarizaki the lead?”_

“Gin nice serve!” 

Ginjima takes a deep breath, preparing for his second serve. 

_FWEET!_

Tossing the ball into the air, he jumps up and sends a powerful Spike Serve over the net, aiming for Iizuna. 

“Komori!” “Got it!” 

Komori jumps in front of Iizuna and gets the ball up as Iizuna prepares to set it. 

“Tabata!” 

Itachiyama’s Number 4 jumps up to spike the ball, wincing as Ojiro and Osamu jump up to block him. 

_‘Dammit…!’_ “One-touch!” 

Akagi connects the ball, sending it over to Atsumu as he positions himself to set. 

“Hup!” Atsumu sets the ball to Suna again, Nagaoka and Sakusa instantly run up to block him, instantly entering Suna’s line of sight as they jump up to block him. 

_‘Yeah, you’re good.’_

Suna twists his torso and spikes to the side of Nagaoka’s block, the ball bounces off of Komori’s out-stretched arms and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [19 – 18] Itachiyama_

“Don’t need luck, huh?” Suna taunts, smiling at Nagaoka and Sakusa. “Maybe you do, better luck next time.” 

“Tch…” Nagaoka grits his teeth as he turns away, trying not to let Suna get to him. 

Watching the exchange, Y/N sighs. The higher level the blocker is, the easier it is for Suna to manipulate them. And with a high level, Nationals-calibre blocker like Nagaoka, Suna will use everything to his advantage to shut him down. 

_Inarizaki [27 – 26] Itachiyama_

_“A powerful spike from Ojiro Aran! Gaining Inarizaki the lead in the second set once again! Will the deuce continue on? Or can Inarizaki take the second set?”_

_“Things aren’t looking good for Itachiyama though, right now it’s Miya Atsumu’s serve!”_

“Alright!” Ojiro cheers, high fiving Atsumu. 

“Nice kill! Aran! Nice kill! Aran! Jump, jump, Aran! Give us another!” 

Atsumu takes four steps away from the end line, preparing for his serve. Lifting his left hand, he clenches it, instantly silencing the Inarizaki cheer squad. Eyes wide open in concentration, Atsumu tosses the ball into the air as he sends a jump floater over the net. 

“Jump floater!” “Sakusa!” 

Sakusa positions himself for an overhand receive, getting surprised when the ball falls short, he manages to touch it a bit, giving Komori enough time to dive in and keep the ball up. 

“Got it!” 

_“Amazing coordination between Sakusa-kun and Komori-kun! They were able to get Miya Atsumu’s first serve up!”_

“Hit it over, Nanase!” 

Nanase jumps up and spikes the ball over, but Suna’s there to block him. 

“One-touch!” 

“Alri-!” “Got it!” 

Atsumu calls, grinning as he positions to set the ball. 

_“And Miya Atsumu turns the first touch into a set!”_

Osamu and Ginjima both run up for a quick attack, startling Itachiyama with their risky and fast-paced plays. _‘Double Quick…!’_

Nagaoka watches Atsumu carefully, waiting for the instant he sets the ball. 

“Hup!” _‘Number 11!’_

Nagaoka and Nanase run up to block Osamu, lagging behind a little due to the speed of the attack. 

_BAM!_

Osamu’s spike touches Nagaoka’s outstretched arm as it falls onto the court. In the last second, Komori manages to get the ball up with a pancake, but it bounces off of Iizuna’s arm and out of bounds. 

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [28 – 26] Itachiyama_

_“A strong serve combined with a powerful Double Quick attack scores Inarizaki that 28th point! Ending their deuce with Itachiyama! Inarizaki wins a set off of Tokyo’s long-time champion school! Let’s hear it for Inarizaki High School!!”_

The Inarizaki band and cheer squad cheer loudly to congratulate their team, drowning out all other sounds in the stadium. 

_“The first set of the Finals ended with Itachiyama in the lead, but Inarizaki takes back the second set! The set count is even at 1-1!”_

“…Sakusa-san and Komori-kun’s defence skills are as solid as always.” Y/N says as she packs up the teams belongings to switch sides with Itachiyama. “You plannin’ on gettin’ more Service Aces, Atsumu? Or?” 

Atsumu rolls his eyes as he huffs, snatching his drink bottle as he glares. “Of course I am, I’m gonna get so many Service Aces in the third set, and the fourth set. Just you watch.” 

“You sound confident for someone that’s scoring less than me.” Suna pipes up. 

“Shuddup! I’m the setter! Every point you score is my point too!” 

“Setter? More like selfish.” Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“ _‘The Selfish Setter’_ , sounds good on a resume, make sure to credit Osamu though.” Suna chuckles, smirking to himself. 

Atsumu huffs as he glares at them. “…The only title I’m aimin’ for, is _'the Best Setter'_ , so you guys can watch me get it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to my friend for helping me write this chapter! Since I hardly have any volleyball experience, she really helped me out with my info =w= She's on a college team and won the College League Championship OuO I was asking her a bunch of questions for reference in writing the Itachiyama team XD So thanks to her~
> 
> (I asked her a bunch of questions like "What are your most memorable moments" and she gave me a few but apparently her team beat another team in straight sets 25-3??? XD Lowkey feel bad for them but at the same time... I'm so proud of her :'))
> 
> I really did a lot of extensive research for this chapter (and the next) =w= but of course, no matter how much I learn online, nothing beats the real experience, that's where my friend came in XD I also heavily analysed the Haikyuu manga chapters to try work out the rotations, I can go into detail about my findings and choices but I won't =w=
> 
> I know most of the research I did won't really be needed or included in this fic, but I always think it's necessary to go above and beyond what you need to do in order to understand something well enough to portray it accurately, It's time consuming but I think it's rewarding and I know my efforts won't be wasted =w=
> 
> Anyway~ I'm currently running on little sleep because I've legit got so many deadlines, I'm trying to fix my sleep schedule but I had to stay up to somehow finish this chapter to keep on schedule TT^TT Legit all my days are jam-packed with so much work to do... I have a major deadline this weekend and I need to finish two short animation clips but I'm already suffering 🤩 and two days after that I have another major deadline 🤩🤩 and a week after that I have the worst deadline ever... I'm trying to fit everything in my life in and I'm so glad I'm a fast and efficient worker otherwise I might actually just pass away 😭😭
> 
> Since I was able to somehow finish this chapter before going to bed, I _should_ be still on schedule and I shouldn't have to lose too much sleep but we'll see :)) 
> 
> That being said, I know timing in my life isn't the greatest XD But I am extremely excited for the next two chapters OuO I don't want to give away too much but I'm legit so excited to write them and share them with you omg OuO  
> Deadlines? What're they? Anyway next chapter is coming soon-
> 
> ~~~  
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	26. Simple, Pure Strength

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 5 – Finals_

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [12 – 09] Itachiyama_

“Nice kill, Rintarou! Nice kill, Rintarou!” 

_“Suna Rintarou scores once again! Spiking around Itachiyama’s blockers, he snatched away that point with overwhelming technique and skill alone!”_

“Damn! Suna’s on a roll!” Riseki mutters in awe. “He’s always great at gettin’ points, but ever since the second set he’s really been steppin’ up his game!” 

“He is.” Kita agrees, watching the match carefully. “However… maybe it would be best for Atsumu to not use him repeatedly and instead mix it up a little more.” 

“Yeah… I don’t know why but I’m startin’ to feel a little uneasy.” Y/N mumbles, glancing at Coach Kurosu for a moment. “Whaddya think, Coach?” 

“Hmm… For now, Atsumu’s makin’ full use of Suna so that’s good, but y’know… there’s no such thing as an unblockable spike.” 

“Mm… and the more Rintarou uses the same attack, easier it is for Itachiyama to counter it.” 

_Inarizaki [16 – 15] Itachiyama_

“Gin! Nice serve!” 

Taking a deep breath, Ginjima bounces the volleyball a few times before he tosses it into the air and serves. 

_BAM!_

“Komori!” 

_“Now that was a powerful serve! And equally amazing was that receive! Way to pick it up! Inarizaki’s serves just keep getting better and better! That was an amazing course!”_

“Alright!” Iizuna calls, positioning himself to set, making eye contact with Nagaoka, he jumps up. “Sakusa!” 

_‘I knew that was a fake-!’_ Suna scrunches his nose in annoyance as he and Osamu jump up to block Sakusa’s Back Row Attack. 

Running up from behind, Sakusa watches the ball carefully as Iizuna tosses, jumping up to spike. His form is elegant, precise, with such intense focus and concentration. 

Suspended in the air, almost as if he were enveloped by a whirlwind, Y/N has a full view of Sakusa’s back and beautiful spiking form. 

_‘Oh no. He’s gorgeous.’_

_BAM!_

He swiftly spikes the ball with incredible power and such a lethal spin. It bounces off of Osamu’s outstretched hand and flings to his left. 

“One touch!” “Akagi!” 

“Hnng-!” Akagi runs after the ball and dives for it, barely managing to get it up. 

_“An incredibly sharp spike from Sakusa Kiyoomi! As sharp as a razor!”_

_“Ha! You can say that again, such lethal trajectory! Incredible precision! But Miya Osamu managed to get a hand on it, Akagi connects the ball!”_

“Aran!” Atsumu calls, crouching down and tossing to him. 

_“It seems like Inarizaki is combatting Itachiyama with their own Ace! In response to Sakusa’s incredible spike, Inarizaki sends out Ojiro Aran! It’s an Ace’s showdown!”_

“Three blockers!” 

Nanase, Nagaoka and Tabata jump up to block Ojiro. 

_BAM!!_

With unbelievable strength, Ojiro smashes the ball through their block. 

_“AND HE BASHES THROUGH THE THREE-BLOCKER WALL!! BUT ITACHIYAMA ISN’T DONE YET! IIZUNA TSUKASA KEEPS THE BALL IN PLAY!”_

“Guh-!” _‘This is insane-!’_ Iizuna tumbles back as his body absorbs the power of Ojiro’s Spike. “Komori!” 

“Got it!” Komori jumps up from behind the attack line to set the ball. 

_“What’s this?? Itachiyama’s Libero Komori Motoya follows through to set! And it seems like Sakusa is approaching once again! This really is an Ace-to-Ace showdown!”_

“STOP HIM!!” Riseki shrieks, clinging onto Kosaku as he hyperventilates, this match is too intense for him. The other Inarizaki reserves do their best to try calm him down. 

Running up to spike, Sakusa jumps up for another Back Row Attack. 

_‘We’ll stop him this time-!’_ Ojiro, Osamu and Suna think as they run up to block Sakusa again. 

Komori dumps the ball. 

“WHAT THE HECK!??!!” The Inarizaki team screeches in unison. 

“Argh-!” Akagi groans as he dives for the ball, missing. “Damn you, Motoya!” 

_Inarizaki [16 – 16] Itachiyama_

_“Am I seeing this right?? As if to laugh in Inarizaki’s faces, Komori Motoya dumps the ball right in front of them! He took advantage of the fact that everyone’s eyes were focused on Sakusa and attacked!”_

“Hnng-! I hate ‘em…!” Atsumu groans as if he’s physically repulsed by Sakusa and Komori. “I trusted ya Komori!” 

“You’re a compulsive liar as always, Miya!” Komori laughs as he high fives Iizuna. 

_“Komori-kun hasn’t performed any Libero dumps this whole match so I thought he was staying under the radar, turns out he was just waiting for the perfect moment! Who would have guessed that he’d attack in the Third Set? Haha! Certainly not Inarizaki!”_

“Even the commentator’s mockin’ us.” Osamu deadpans as Suna rolls his eyes. 

“He’s not wrong though.” 

“Shut it.” 

“Nanase, nice serve!” 

Itachiyama rotates for Nanase’s serve, moving Sakusa into their front lines as he comes face to face with Suna. Suna smiles innocently at him. 

“I like your uniform, nice colours.” 

“…” Sakusa ignores Suna as he waits for Nanase to serve. 

Suna chuckles at this as he whispers to Osamu. “Ouch, rejection hurts.” 

“Focus, Suna.” Osamu deadpans as the referee signals for Nanase’s serve. 

Jumping up, he sends over a Jump Floater. 

_‘It’s falling…!’_ Akagi stumbles forward as he gets the ball up. “Soz’! It’s short!” 

“Hup!” Atsumu crouches down uncomfortably as he sets the ball from a low angle. “Suna!” 

_‘He’s so good…!’_ Iizuna thinks in awe. 

Tabata and Sakusa line up with Suna, jumping up to block him. From the side, Nagaoka rushes over to join them as well. 

_‘Damn… three blockers…!’_ Suna grits his teeth as he tries to spike around their block. 

“One touch!” Nagaoka calls. 

“Komori!” 

Komori runs after the ball, sending it to Sakusa. “Sakusa! Last!” 

Jumping up, Sakusa hits the ball against Suna’s block as it falls down, dribbling down between Suna and the net. 

_Inarizaki [16 – 17] Itachiyama_

_“A waterfall ball! Suna-kun’s block was positioned nicely, but Sakusa manages to Spike through, gaining Itachiyama the lead!”_

_“It seems like every point is an intense rally! Haha! I can hardly catch my breath, imagine how exhausted the players are right now! And this isn’t even their final set!”_

“You can say that again, 5 Set matches are terrible.” Suna sighs. 

“Don’t mind, Suna. We couldn’t do anythin’ ‘bout that point.” Osamu says, high fiving Suna. 

“Yeah I know.” 

_FWEET!_

Nanase tosses the ball into the air for his second serve. 

“Gin!” 

“Urgh-!” Ginjima gets the ball up with an overhand receive. “Atsumu!” 

“Alright!” Atsumu grins as he feels Itachiyama’s blockers watching him closely, analysing his every movement. _‘This is so suffocating… I love it…!’_ “Aran!” 

Nagaoka, Tabata and Sakusa instantly line up to block Ojiro’s Spike from the left side, purposely lining up to block the straight, leaving Komori to guard the cross. 

_‘There’s nowhere to Spike…!’_ Ojiro winces as he spikes directly towards Komori, who successfully gets it up. 

“Nice receive!” “Iizuna!” 

Iizuna runs over to set the ball, quickly analysing Inarizaki’s side as he jumps. “Tabata!” 

_BAM!_

_“What a sound! I’m not sure if it came from Tabata-kun’s Spike or Miya Osamu’s magnificent block, but I’m sure that sound rung throughout the whole stadium!”_

“Akagi! Follow!” 

“Got it!” Akagi bumps the ball up. “Atsumu!” 

Staring intensely at the ball, Atsumu quickly runs over and sets the ball. “Suna!” 

Nagaoka, Tabata and Sakusa instantly line up to block Suna, startling him and Atsumu with their speed. 

_‘Dammit…! They’re so fast…!’_

Suna winces as he jumps up to spike the ball, glancing to the left as he twists his torso to spike, attempting to spike around Nagaoka’s block once again. 

_‘The more you use the same attack, the easier it is for us to counter.’_ Nagaoka thinks as he shifts his arms to the side, successfully blocking Suna’s spike. 

_Inarizaki [16 – 18] Itachiyama_

_“A total shutdown! What incredible reflexes from Itachiyama’s blockers! Third Year Nagaoka Yuki successfully stops Suna-kun’s spike! Itachiyama’s on a roll!”_

_“It seems like Inarizaki’s calling a timeout!”_

_Inarizaki High School_  
_First Timeout_

“It’s just a few points, don’t let it get to ya, ‘kay? We’re only two points behind.” Coach Kurosu says. “It’s natural for Itachiyama’s defence to evolve over the course of the match, but so is ours. Let’s watch ‘em carefully and get back at them, got it?” 

“Yes sir!” 

Y/N stands up from the bench, getting the boys to sit down for a bit. “It’s only for a bit, but we’re only halfway through the third set, and we’ve got the fourth set and potentially a fifth set comin’, so you guys should rest whenever you get the chance.” 

“We’ve been trainin’ our stamina for this~” Atsumu sighs as he sits down, gratefully taking the drink bottle she holds out for him. “But thanks, yer always thinkin’ ‘bout us~” 

“Who else would I be thinkin’ ‘bout?” She deadpans, giving Osamu and Suna their drink bottles as they mumble out a thanks. 

Taking a few sips, Osamu glances over to Suna, who seems lost in thought. 

“Suna?” 

“…I’ve already lost count of the number of times… I’ve been stuffed by incredible blockers from across the nation.” He sighs, glancing over at Nagaoka on Itachiyama’s bench. 

Following his line of sight, the other four second years turn to look at him too, shamelessly staring. They instantly glance away when Nagaoka looks up at them, Suna rolls his eyes at this. 

_‘How do I put it, even if those guys can anticipate where to block, and try to run one step ahead of me… Those hands that reach out to loom above me are filled with nothing but dread. But then again, blocks that aren’t terrifying can hardly be called blocks at all.’_

Glancing up, Suna sweat drops when he realises everyone’s staring at him in interest, waiting for him to say something. “What?” 

“Whaddya mean _‘what’_? You can’t just say somethin’ and look off into the distance like we can read yer mind or somethin’.” Atsumu deadpans. “Whaddya thinkin’ ‘bout?” 

Suna rolls his eyes as he gets up, they all walk back onto the court for Nanase’s third serve as their timeout ends. 

“I’m just sayin’, here we are, at the finals, and I feel like I’m surrounded by monsters.” Suna says, looking over to Itachiyama’s side of the court. 

“Bro, have you seen yourself?” Ginjima deadpans. “I don’t think you can talk.” 

“Maybe.” He shrugs, turning to face the net as Nanase prepares for his third serve. Glancing to the left, he eyes Nagaoka for a moment before turning back to face the front. _‘Nagaoka-san… you scare me.’_

“Nice receive!” “Atsumu!” 

_‘You’re a terrifying blocker.’_

“One touch!” “Komori! Cover!” 

_‘I’m sure many people feel fear when I’m at the net.’_

“Soz’! It’s short!” “Got it!” 

_‘But I wonder if it’s the same kind of fear I feel when those hands reach out to loom above me, when I’m filled with nothing but dread.’_

“Suna!” Atsumu calls, tossing up as Suna runs up to spike. As predicted, all three Itachiyama blockers instantly line up to block him. 

_‘Yeah… I fear you.’_

Suna watches the ball intensely as he jumps, preparing to twist his torso for his spike. 

_‘But this fear… it’s exhilarating.’_

_BAM!_

_‘I want to defeat you.’_

The ball bounces off of Nagaoka’s outstretched hands and onto Inarizaki’s court, Akagi dives to get it up but misses. 

_‘…Is this how Atsumu feels?’_

“Dammit!” Atsumu groans. 

_FWEET!_

_Itachiyama Academy Net Touch_

_Inarizaki [17 – 18] Itachiyama_

_“Oh?? It seems like Suna baited Itachiyama’s blockers enough for them to get reckless! He certainly has a huge presence on the court! Their blockers were desperately trying to shut him down, only to push too far and get caught in the net! It’s Inarizaki’s point!”_

“Suna!” Atsumu calls. “Didja plan that?? Didja???” 

“Well yes but actually no.” 

“…Which is it?” 

Rolling his eyes, Suna shrugs, rotating for his serve, he’s finally going to the back row. “Does it matter? We got the point anyway.” 

Turning around to look at Nagaoka, Suna smirks pettily. _‘Ha. I win.’_

Nagaoka just rolls his eyes at his pettiness. 

**_Member Substitution_**  
_Inarizaki High School_

_“It seems like Inarizaki is sending in their second year Pinch Serve Kosaku Yuuto! He managed to get a few powerful serves in the first set so we can look forward to some incredible serves!”_

“Nice serve! Kosaku!” 

_‘Itachiyama is filled with all-rounded players, they’re all great at defence.’_ Kosaku thinks as he prepares to serve, waiting for the referee’s whistle. 

_FWEET!_

_‘In that case, I’ll aim my serve at the weakest link.’_ Tossing the ball into the air, he smashes a powerful jump serve over. _‘So I’ll aim for you!’_

“Nanase!” 

“Hnng-!” Nanase stumbles forward as he receives the ball. 

_“Inarizaki knows no mercy! Despite the momentum being with Itachiyama at the moment, they don’t hold back! An intense serve brings the ball straight back into the Inarizaki court!”_

_‘Alright!’_ Kosaku grins. 

“Chance ball!” 

Positioning himself, Atsumu jumps up to set. “Kosaku!” 

_‘Using the guy that was just subbed in?? You’re insane!’_ Tabata grits his teeth as he tries to position to block with Sakusa. 

_BAM!_

Kosaku’s spike bounces off of Sakusa’s outstretched arm and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 18] Itachiyama_

_“A strong serve combined with an intense Back Row Attack! This is Inarizaki’s famous unconventional play style!_ ‘The Strongest Challengers!’ _Inarizaki isn’t afraid to take risks! Did that point just tip the balance and put the momentum on Inarizaki’s side??”_

Sakusa silently watches Inarizaki from over the net, glancing to the side, he makes eye contact with Atsumu who instantly scowls at him. 

Sakusa smirks slightly as Kosaku tosses the ball into the air for his second serve. 

_‘As if I’d let you score points so easily.’_

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [21 – 23] Itachiyama_

_“An intense spike from Ojiro Aran that unfortunately got caught by Itachiyama’s middle blocker Takahashi Kanou! Luckily for Inarizaki, he touched the net! Scoring Inarizaki the point!”_

“Lucky…!” Atsumu breathes out, relieved that they finally scored a point after Itachiyama’s point streak. 

“Let’s fix up our rhythm, guys!” Akagi claps his hands, trying to encourage them. 

“Hnng-! I’m feelin’ restless…” Atsumu mutters as Akagi sighs. 

“We’re rushin’ things too much, we needa take a step back.” He says seriously, looking at all his teammates. 

_FWEET!_

The players on the court instantly glance towards the side. Kita’s holding up the substitution paddle. 

**_Member Substitution_**  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #1 Kita Shinsuke_  
_OUT: #4 Ojiro Aran_

_“Inarizaki High School will now sub another member in! Number 4 Ojiro Aran will be subbed out. Number 1, Captain Kita Shinsuke is subbed in.”_

__

__

“They’re subbing out their Ace? Even though they’re losing the set?” 

__

“Who’s that?” Someone in the audience whispers. 

__

“The commentators just said he’s their Captain right…? Yeah he’s the Team Captain…!” 

__

“Damn! This is the first time he’s gone on court for the whole of Interhigh… Talk about pressure, do you think he’ll be okay?” 

__

_‘This isn’t just his first time on the court for the whole of Interhigh… This is the first time he’s ever been on court at a National Tournament.’_ Y/N thinks as she watches Kita walk onto the court. _‘The first time Kita-senpai ever saw the court in an official match, was after he became a third year, during the Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers against Nakiusagi.’_

__

__

“Atsumu.” 

__

“Hnng!” Atsumu flinches as he stands up straight, avoiding Kita’s eyes as he turns to him. 

__

“Why’dja toss the ball so quickly just now?” 

__

“…Itachiyama’s blockers are gettin’ faster and faster so I was-” 

__

“So you thought you could outplay them by tossing quickly? Didja think you could accomplish anythin’ with a rushed, low set?” 

__

_‘EEEEEK!’_

__

__

“The second years are always so scared and on edge every time Shinsuke steps onto the court…” Coach Oomi chuckles. 

__

“Shinsuke’s cold logic can be pretty terrifying so I don’t blame ‘em.” Coach Kurosu laughs as Y/N scoffs. 

__

“Serves ‘em right.” 

__

__

“NICE SERVE!” Atsumu, Osamu and Ginjima stiffly yell as Kita prepares for his serve. 

__

“Hnng-!” _‘What scary aim-!’_ Komori shifts forwards as he receives the serve. 

__

_“The receive has broken formation! The serve appears to have been purposely aimed in a tight spot with the intent of catching Itachiyama’s receivers off-guard!”_

__

“Takahashi!” Iizuna calls, sending a Quick set to him as he jumps up to spike. 

__

_BAM!_

__

The ball flings off of Oomimi’s arms, flying behind him. 

__

_‘Yes!’_ Takahashi mentally cheers. 

__

But Kita saves the ball, managing to connect as he sends it back, but it’s a little close to the net. 

__

“Atsumu! Hit it over!” 

__

Atsumu jumps up and reaches for the ball, preparing to dump it. 

__

_‘Tch…! We’ll stop you!’_ Takahashi and Iizuna jump up to block his dump. 

__

Atsumu instantly shifts is stance to set the ball but the blockers hit it down. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

_Itachiyama Over Net_  
_Point to Inarizaki_

__

_Inarizaki [22 – 23] Itachiyama_

__

__

“Ohh! I dump shot feint!” Y/N says in excitement, before realising that she’s getting excited over Atsumu’s play, instantly dropping her expression. “I mean… Kita-senpai’s presence really changes the tide of the match.” 

__

Suna rolls his eyes at this. “Are you a tsundere?” 

__

“Shuddup.” She mutters as Kita sends over his second serve. 

__

“Just admit that you thought Atsumu baiting Itachiyama’s blockers into a foul was cool.” 

__

“There’s nothing to admit.” 

__

_FWEET!_

__

_Inarizaki [22 – 24] Itachiyama_

__

“Go, go, Sakusa! Fight, fight, Sakusa!” 

__

“Yeah Sakusa!!” “SAKUSA-KUN!!” “Nice kill!” 

__

_“And Sakusa strikes back with an intense spike that Inarizaki just can’t pick up! Talk about a lethal spin! Captain Kita Shinsuke was positioned well to receive, but the spin was just too much!”_

__

“There wasn’t much we could do about that point, let’s focus on the next.” Kita says. 

__

“Alright!” 

__

_“And just like that, Sakusa’s rotated into the back line for his serve!”_

__

_‘Argh… talk about bad timing…’_ Ginjima mentally winces, thankful that he’s not in the back row for defence on Sakusa’s serve. _‘Set point too… at least we’ve got Kita-san and Akagi in the back row.’_

__

“Sakusa! Nice serve!” 

__

Sakusa tosses the volleyball back and forth between his hands as he prepares for his serve, waiting for the referee’s signal. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

_‘It’s coming…!’_

__

Tossing the ball into the air, Sakusa runs up to serve. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“Shinsuke-!” 

__

Kita instantly shifts over to position himself to receive. _‘I haven’t practised getting this one up specifically… but I’ve had my fair share of crazy spins.’_

__

_“And Kita Shinsuke keeps the ball in play! Sakusa sent over a powerful serve with a lethal spin! But that was an equally amazing receive! Now these are incredibly high level plays!”_

__

“Atsumu!” 

__

“Hup!” Atsumu runs over to position himself to set. “Oomimi!” He sends a high toss to Oomimi. 

__

_‘Dammit…! He’s so tall…!’_ Iizuna and Nanase wince as they reach up to block him, barely getting a hand on the ball. 

__

“One touch!” 

__

“Hnng-!” Tabata dives for the ball, keeping it in play. 

__

“Komori!” “Got it!” 

__

Komori jumps up from behind the attack line to set. 

__

_‘Who’s it gonna be? His options are limited to Sakusa and Takahashi…!’_ Atsumu and Ginjima think as they watch him carefully. 

__

“Wait guys, don’t forget-!” Y/N winces when Komori goes for a dump. “…He’s got a third option.” 

__

“SERIOUSLY!? AGAIN!?!?” Atsumu screeches as he tries to reach behind for the ball. 

__

Kita dives and manages to get it up with a pancake, shocking everyone. 

__

“KITA-SAN!!!” The Inarizaki team gasps in awe and delight. 

__

_“Inarizaki’s Captain, Kita Shinsuke manages to save Komori’s Libero dump! What impeccable reaction time and skills! He didn’t even hesitate! Is he seriously human??”_

__

“Hnngh-!” Osamu stumbles forward as he barely manages to connect the ball. “Oomimi! Cover!” 

__

Jumping up, Oomimi spikes the ball over. 

__

_BMPH!_

__

Sakusa bumps it up. 

__

_“Now that was an incredible sound! The sound of the volleyball being received! Sakusa Kiyoomi is truly a star player, and all-rounder! Is there anything he can’t do??”_

__

_‘Argh… it’s moments like these when Sakusa reminds me of Mr Perfect, Kita Shinsuke.’_ Atsumu scowls as he watches Iizuna set the ball. 

__

“Nanase!” 

__

Oomimi and Atsumu instantly run up to block him. 

__

_‘Argh…! Inarizaki’s block is so fast…!’_ Nanase groans, hitting it in the gap between the block and antenna. 

__

“Shinsuke-!” Akagi calls. 

__

Kita gracefully shifts into position to receive the straight, managing to get it up. “Michinari!” 

__

“Hnng-!” Akagi runs over to connect the ball, sending it towards the net. “Gin! Hit it over!” 

__

Ginjima jumps up to spike as Takahashi and Iizuna jump up to block him. Scrunching his face, he hits the ball against the block. 

__

_“What a fantastic rebound! Ginjima Hitoshi hits the ball into Itachiyama’s block and gets Inarizaki a chance ball!”_

__

“Alri-!” Akagi starts. 

__

“‘Samu!” Atsumu calls, running up to turn the first touch into a set. 

__

_“What’s this? It seems like Miya Atsumu is turning the first touch into a set up! Talk about reckless haha!”_

__

Osamu runs up to spike the ball as Itachiyama’s blockers line up to block him. In the last second, he shifts his stances and set’s the ball again. “Gin!” 

__

“Oh you son of a-!” Takahashi groans as he watches Ginjima run up to spike the ball, running over to try get a hand on it. 

__

_BAM!_

__

_“And Komori Motoya keeps the ball in play! What a long and intense rally! I don’t even know who’s going to score!”_

__

“Iizuna!” 

__

Iizuna runs up to set the ball, on his left, Nanase’s started running up to spike, and behind him, Sakusa’s also started his approach. Grinning, he jumps up to set the ball. 

__

_‘Finish it off, Ace.’_

__

He sends a high toss to Sakusa as he runs up for a Back Row Attack. 

__

Soaring into the air, as if he were enveloped in a whirlwind, Sakusa smashes the ball down as Ginjima, Atsumu and Oomimi jump up to block him. 

__

_BAM!_

__

With a spike so sharp, the ball slices through the block as Kita dives for it, managing to touch it before it falls out of bounds. 

__

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [22 – 25] Itachiyama_

__

_“And just like that! Itachiyama’s Ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi smashes through the three man block, scoring Itachiyama their 25th point and snatching the third set away from Inarizaki! Remember his name! Sakusa Kiyoomi! Truly a star player and one of the Nations Top 3!”_

__

“Yeah!! Go Sakusa!” “Nice kill, Sakusa!!” “SAKUSA-KUUUN!!” 

__

“Yikes.” Suna mutters. 

__

“Argh… they’re hypin’ him up way too much!” Atsumu groans in irritation, walking back to the bench with the rest of his team as they prepare to switch courts with Itachiyama again. “Let’s destroy ‘em in the fourth set!” 

__

“We agree for once, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu mutters. 

__

“Oh? The famous Miya brothers are agreeing? Maybe you guys are gonna win the whole match.” Y/N says, collecting her belongings as they drag the volleyball cart over to the other side. 

__

“We are gonna win N/N!” Atsumu whines. “There’s no way we’d lose! Ain’t that right ‘Samu??” 

__

“Suna, d’ya hear somethin’?” Osamu asks, ignoring Atsumu. 

__

“Oi!” 

__

Sweat dropping, Y/N backs away slightly as she sighs, glancing to the side, she sees Riseki looking troubled, as if he were deep in thought. 

__

_‘…He looks constipated.’_ She thinks, turning to him. “Riseki-kun? What’s wrong?” 

__

“H-huh??” He flinches when she calls him, instantly turning to her. “L-L/N-san! It’s nothin’!” 

__

“I’m thoroughly convinced.” She drones sarcastically. “Are ya worried ‘bout the match?” 

__

“Ehh, I guess you could say that…” He mutters sheepishly, shyly scratching his head. “It’s just that Kita-san enterin’ the third set wasn’t enough for us to win… So I guess I’m worried ‘bout the next sets too…” 

__

“Hmm… I don’t think we have anythin’ to worry about.” Y/N shrugs, smiling encouragingly at him. “Sure we didn’t win the set, but we were able to stop Itachiyama’s momentum thanks to Kita-senpai, plus…” 

__

Trailing off, Y/N vaguely nods towards Atsumu, getting Riseki to look at him too. 

__

“Atsumu _really_ hates losin’, after Sakusa-san’s bold plays near the end of the set… D’ya really think Atsumu’s gonna sit around and let him outplay him like that?” 

__

__

* * *

__

__

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Fourth Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Itachiyama_

__

_“Presenting_ ‘The Strongest Challengers’ _, Inarizaki, and_ ‘The Long-time Champions’ _, Itachiyama! Which of the two teams will emerge victorious in this intense Powerhouse showdown?!”_

__

_“The destined fourth set is upon us! Will Itachiyama steal the victory here, or will Inarizaki be able to snatch away the fourth set and earn the right to play the fifth set?? Either way, I’m really looking forward to the development of the fourth set!”_

__

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

__

“Let’s! Go! Itachiyama! Itachiyama! Itachiyama!” 

__

“Atsumu, nice serve!” “Atsumu-kun!!” 

__

The cheers of both powerhouse schools do their best to drown each other out as they show support for their respective teams, making the rest of the audience feel more and more hyped. 

__

Taking the volleyball, Atsumu takes six steps away from the end line, face focused in concentration as he turns around to face the Itachiyama team. 

__

Slowly, he lifts his left hand and clenches his first, instantly silencing the majority of the crowd. Not that it matters anymore. 

__

No way in hell’s he going to let a bit of noise stop him. 

__

Spinning the ball in his hands, he waits for the referee’s signal. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

And with the precision of countless hours of practise, he easily tosses the ball into the air. 

__

_BAM!_

__

Everyone flinches in shock. 

__

_“NO-TOUCH SERVICE ACE!!!”_

__

_“SUCH VELOCITY! SUCH ACCURACY! YOU JUST CAN’T EXPECT THESE KIND OF SERVES TO BE SAVED!”_

__

_“Miya Atsumu everyone! The winner of the Best Server award during his middle school years! And definitely a top contender for this Interhigh’s Best Server Award! MIYA ATSUMU!!”_

__

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Itachiyama_

__

“Yikes.” Suna smirks, turning around to look at Atsumu as he prepares for his second serve. _‘I already know Atsumu’s good, we all do. But every now and then, he really scares us.’_

__

“Atsumu! Nice serve!” 

__

Eyes trained on the volleyball in his hands, he spins it around once more. 

__

And suddenly, he looks up at the Itachiyama court, tossing the volleyball in the air and jumps. 

__

_BAM!_

__

Tabata get’s taken by surprise as the serve arcs over and drops in front of him, managing to stretch forward enough to touch it before it bounces out of bounds from the force. 

__

_Inarizaki [02 – 00] Itachiyama_

__

_“SCOREEE!!! SERVICE ACE AGAIN!! MIYA ATSUMU DOESN’T FALTER!”_

__

“WOOO!!! ATSUMU!!!!” “GIVE US ANOTHER!!!” 

__

Atsumu sticks his tongue out as he fist bumps the air, gaining more and more cheers from the audience. 

__

Sakusa scowls at this, positioning himself to receive Atsumu’s third serve. He needs to end his scoring streak. 

__

__

__

_Inarizaki [30 – 31] Itachiyama_

__

_“His positioning! His approach! It looked like he was going for a cross shot to the far side… But at the last second he shifted, baiting Inarizaki’s blockers! What an amazing shot!”_

__

_“Itachiyama’s second year Ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi!”_

__

“Go, go, Sakusa! Fight, fight, Sakusa!” 

__

“I swear, if I hear this chant _one more time-!_ ” 

__

“Atsumu, shut up.” Suna rolls his eyes, trying to wipe away his sweat as he silently pants. 

__

“Argh… I’m hungry…” Osamu mutters, panting heavily. “How much longer until I can eat…?” 

__

“Shuddup ‘Samu! We’re gonna win this set then the next set! We’re not eatin’ for a long time so deal with it!” 

__

__

“…I really wish we had another timeout.” Coach Kurosu mutters. “This ain’t good.” 

__

Y/N scoffs as she crosses her arms. “I said we shouldn’t have used it before and what didja do? You used it. I told you it wasn’t a good idea.” 

__

“We were at set point and Atsumu was practically gassed out! He’d never admit it but look how exhausted he is!” 

__

“Ya, so we should sub him out.” 

__

“Wow, he’d actually murder you if he heard you say that.” Coach Oomi mutters. 

__

“He could try.” Y/N shrugs. “Everyone on the team has great stamina, but Atsumu’s always the one runnin’ ‘round the most in the matches, we’re already at the end of the fourth set and the deuce keeps draggin’ out. He’s exhausted, we should take him out.” 

__

“It’s too close to the end of the set, there’s no point.” Coach Oomi argues. 

__

Sighing, Coach Kurosu slumps in his seat. “…Yeah, Atsumu’s practically runnin’ on fumes right now. If we make it to the fifth set, I’ll sub ‘im out.” 

__

“ _‘If’_?” Y/N raises her eyebrow at this. “Don’tcha mean _‘when’_?” 

__

Coach Kurosu chuckles at this. “Right, of course.” 

__

__

“Tabata! Nice serve!” 

__

Taking a deep breath, Tabata tosses the ball in the air for his serve. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“Gin!” 

__

“Hnng-!” Ginjima dives forward to get the ball up. “Soz’! Cover!” 

__

“Atsumu!” 

__

Atsumu moves into position to set, carefully analysing his teammates. 

__

“Aran!” He calls, tossing to him. _‘Dammit! Is that too low?’_

__

Watching the toss, Ojiro jumps up to spike it. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“One touch!” “Komori!” 

__

“Iizuna-san!” Komori calls as he bumps it up. Iizuna’s already moving into position. 

__

Jumping up, he tosses the ball. “Takahashi!” 

__

Oomimi and Ojiro instantly run over to block him, managing to get a hand on the ball. “One touch!” 

__

Akagi runs after the ball, sticking his foot out and kicking it into the air. “Soz’! Cover” 

__

Panting, Atsumu runs over to set the ball, but he slips. 

__

_“What?! Oh no!! What’s this?!”_

__

_“Oh dear… It looks like he just slipped. On sweat most likely. Miya Atsumu slipped! He won’t recover in time to set!”_

__

Falling down in a thud, he keeps his eyes focused on the ball as he scrambles to get up. “‘Samu!” 

__

Osamu quickly sprints over into position to set the ball. “Oomimi!” 

__

Running over, Oomimi jumps up to spike the ball as Iizuna and Takahashi jump up to block him. 

__

Lightly hitting the ball, Oomimi goes for a feint as the ball falls onto Itachiyama’s court before Komori can get it up. 

__

_Inarizaki [31 – 31] Itachiyama_

__

_“Wow! What incredible decision making! Oomimi Ren knew Itachiyama was wary of a strong, high spike in the tense atmosphere, so instead he went for a dink! Aiming for the gap in their defence!”_

__

_“Yes, Inarizaki is displaying some real tenacity right now! It seems like luck wasn’t on Miya Atsumu’s side, but fortunately for him, his brother Miya Osamu is always there! It seems like when all’s lost for Miya Atsumu, he can always rely on his brother!”_

__

“Don’t rely on me too much.” Osamu deadpans as he helps Atsumu up, watching as the ball boys come over to quickly wipe the sweat off the court. “I’m not always gonna be there and ready to pick up the slack.” 

__

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Atsumu scowls as he pants heavily. “You better get two service aces right now and win the set, I needa reserve my energy for the fifth set.” 

__

Osamu rolls his eyes. “I’m tired too y’know, I can’t just get two service aces.” 

__

“And why not?” Atsumu asks as he straightens up, rotating for Osamu’s serve. “It’s not like Itachiyama’s completely fine, they’re nearin’ their limit too. Let’s show those damn weasels how it’s done.” 

__

“In terms of Youkai, the Kamaitachi is more feared than the Kitsune, so technically the weasels are scarier than the foxes.” Ojiro pipes up as they turn to look at him. 

__

“Huh? Whaddya on about, Aran-kun?” 

__

“Argh… I don’t even know anymore…” Ojiro groans. “D’ya think they’d let us have a snack break?” 

__

“Snacks?” Osamu perks up. 

__

“…Can you three please focus?” Akagi deadpans, raising his eyebrows as he puts his hands on his hips. “Also Osamu, it’s yer serve now.” 

__

“Right.” Osamu mutters as he goes to get the ball. 

__

__

“…The team we’re lookin’ at is supposedly one of the best high school teams in Japan, right?” Y/N deadpans, gesturing to the Inarizaki team. “Them? Really?” 

__

“Finally, someone that shares my sentiments.” Coach Oomi sighs, facepalming. 

__

Coach Kurosu just laughs at them. “Yep, this is the one~ One of the best~!” 

__

“Yayyy~” Y/N and Coach Oomi (un)enthusiastically cheer, waiting for Osamu’s serve. 

__

__

_FWEET!_

__

Osamu stands completely still, expressionless as he stares at the Itachiyama team, the crowd waits in anticipation. 

__

When he finally nears the end of the full eight seconds, he tosses the ball into the air. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“Argh-!” _‘I was a step too slow…!’_ Komori winces as he barely moves forward enough to touch the ball, it bounces off his outstretched hands and onto the court. 

__

_Inarizaki [32 – 31] Itachiyama_

__

_“Score!! Miya Osamu scores a Service Ace!!! Talk about an impressive serve! Such power! The trajectory! Absolutely incredible!”_

__

“WOOO!!!” Atsumu cheers excitedly as he and Osamu high five each other. 

__

_“And now, here’s Miya Osamu’s second serve!”_

__

Waiting the full eight seconds again, Osamu tosses the ball into the air as he jumps to serve. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“Hnng-!” Komori dives for the ball as he barely manages to get it up. _‘Dammit! My legs are so heavy!’_ “Sorry!” 

__

“Chance ball!” Atsumu calls, running over to turn the first touch into a set. 

__

Oomimi quickly runs over to spike the ball. 

__

_“A Quick Attack from a set on the first touch?? Inarizaki is insane!! But Libero Komori Motoya manages to save the ball with a rolling receive!”_

__

“Sakusa!” Iizuna calls as he tosses the ball. 

__

Ojiro, Oomimi and Atsumu instantly run over to block him. 

__

_‘Dammit! I’m so slow-!’_

__

_BAM!_

__

Sakusa spikes an incredible cross shot. Instantly shifting over, Osamu positions himself to receive it but it flings to the side and out of bounds. 

__

_Inarizaki [32 – 32] Itachiyama_

__

_“And just like that, Itachiyama quickly snatches back the point! Both teams are even once again! But this is bad news for Inarizaki, it’s Sakusa’s serve now!”_

__

“Argh! I get it! It’s his serve! Ya don’t needa announce it every time!” Atsumu whines as everyone rolls their eyes and ignores him. 

__

__

Tossing the volleyball between his hands, Sakusa pants silently from the fatigue as he waits for the referee’s whistle. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

He tosses the volleyball into the air as he runs up and jumps, the ball rockets over to Inarizaki’s side. 

__

“Akagi-!” 

__

Akagi quickly shifts into position, ignoring the burning in his legs as he receives the ball. “Atsumu!” 

__

Atsumu runs over to set the ball as Osamu and Ginjima both run up for a Quick Attack. 

__

_‘Double Quick?? Aren’t they exhausted?!’_ Takahashi watches Atsumu’s movements carefully, waiting for the moment the ball leaves his fingertips. 

__

“Hup!” 

__

_‘Number 11!’_ The Itachiyama blockers instantly line up to try block Osamu’s Back Row Attack. 

__

_BAM!_

__

_“What a powerful spike! It smashes through Itachiyama’s block! But somehow Komori-kun saves the ball and keeps it in play!”_

__

Once Komori receives the ball, he shifts to the side as Sakusa runs up for his own Back Row Attack. 

__

“Sakusa!” 

__

“Hnng-!” 

__

_BAM!_

__

_Inarizaki [32 – 33] Itachiyama_

__

_“Score!!! Now that was one intimidating Back Row Attack from Ace Sakusa!”_

__

_“That was also quite an impressive heads-up play from Libero Komori-kun too! He dug the ball and quickly cleared out of the Approach Lane for Sakusa’s run up! Not only did Komori-kun make a beautiful save on a difficult hit, he was also aware of what the next move would be and quickly moved into a position that was out of the way of the Back Row Hitter!”_

__

_“Indeed! Realizing that the play does not end when you touch the ball, connecting your actions to the next step, that is one of the core principles of volleyball!”_

__

“Go, go, Sakusa! Fight, fight, Sakusa!” 

__

__

“It’s a shame they don’t have a chant for the amazin’ saves, Libero’s are so underappreciated.” Y/N sighs as she shakes her head. “Should I contact our Conductor and cheer squad and arrange a special cheer for Akagi-senpai?” 

__

“I think you should focus on the match.” Coach Kurosu deadpans. “Or is this the retired Libero in you talkin’?” 

__

Y/N shrugs. “I don’t needa be a Libero to appreciate the position, it’s just a bonus that I remember how tough it was.” 

__

__

“Sakusa! Nice serve!” 

__

_FWEET!_

__

Taking a deep breath, Sakusa tosses the ball into the air and smashes another powerful serve over. 

__

_BAM!_

__

With incredible trajectory, the ball curves into the front row as Ojiro shifts over to receive it. “Soz’! Cover!” 

__

“Atsumu!” 

__

Running over, Atsumu crouches down into an uncomfortable position to set the ball. 

__

_‘Aren’t you exhausted…? How can you still push yourself beyond your limits?’_ Suna thinks from the bench, eyes wide in shock as he watches Atsumu. 

__

“Gin!!” 

__

Ginjima quickly runs up for a Back Row Attack, jumping up to spike. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“One touch!” Iizuna calls, getting a hand on the spike. “Tabata! Follow” 

__

“Alright!” Tabata bumps the ball up for Iizuna to set the ball. 

__

“Nanase!” Iizuna sets the ball to Nanase as Ojiro and Oomimi jump up to block. 

__

_BAM!_

__

The ball bounces off of Ojiro’s outstretched arms as it flings away from the court. Using the last reserves of his stamina, Akagi sprints after the ball. 

__

_‘Is he gonna make it…?’_

__

Taking a huge step, Akagi grits his teeth as he jumps into the air, stretching his arms forwards as he bumps it back to his team. 

__

“COVER!” He yells, crashing into safety side panels as he winces, slipping as he tries to get up. 

__

“Hnng-!” Ginjima runs after the ball as he dives for it, managing to connect. “Aran! Last!” 

__

Jumping up, Ojiro smashes the ball down onto Itachiyama’s side, but Iizuna gets it up. 

__

“Argh-! Komori!” 

__

“Alright!” Komori calls, jumping up to toss the ball as Sakusa starts running up for a Back Row Attack. 

__

_‘It’s coming…!’_

__

“Sakusa!” Komori calls, tossing to Sakusa as he jumps up, spiking the ball with intense force and incredible precision. 

__

_BAM!_

__

Atsumu receives the ball head on, sneering at Sakusa. 

__

_‘Don’t be so full of it.’_

__

“‘Samu!” 

__

“Got it!” Osamu calls, running up to set the ball. “Aran!” 

__

Ojiro takes a deep breath as he begins his approach, already knowing that the Itachiyama blockers are running up to stop him. 

__

“GET IT!” The Inarizaki reserves yell. 

__

“STOP HIM!” The Itachiyama reserves yell in response. 

__

Grinning, Ojiro jumps up to spike. 

__

_BAM!_

__

“Tch-!” The ball blasts through Itachiyama’s blockers as it flings backwards. Jumping up, Komori makes full use of his height as he somehow saves the ball, sending it over to Inarizaki’s side. 

__

“Osamu!” 

__

Osamu grits his teeth as he turns around, stretching his arm out as he reaches for the ball, barely bumping it up as it continues to fall. 

__

Chasing after the ball, Akagi dives for it as it gets closer and closer towards the ground, managing to touch it with his fingertips as Ginjima runs over, hitting it over to the net. 

__

But it doesn’t make it over. 

__

The Inarizaki team helplessly watches as the ball falls onto their court, panting heavily from fatigue. 

__

It’s over. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

_Finals: Inarizaki – Itachiyama Match – Fourth Set_  
_Inarizaki [32 – 34] Itachiyama_

__

The players all collapse onto the ground as they try to catch their breath, dripping in sweat as they slump on the floor. 

__

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupts in cheers. 

__

_“Wha- What!?! Talk about intense! Did that seriously just happen?!?!”_

__

_“I’m speechless! Inarizaki definitely put up a tenacious fight! I seriously thought they’d get the point! But Itachiyama, the Long-time Champions, emerge victorious once again! Snatching their victory in the fourth set! I must say-!”_

__

“Hey, ‘Samu?” Atsumu mutters as he lies on the floor, not really paying attention to the commentators. 

__

“What is it, ‘Tsumu?” Osamu wheezes out, staring at the ceiling. 

__

“…I’m gonna get back to Hyogo and train.” 

__

Osamu lets out a laugh at this, smiling slightly. “Yeah, I know.” 

__

**Winners: Itachiyama Academy**

__

__

The players slowly get up as their teammates come and help them up, lending them a supportive hand as they walk back to the bench. 

__

Coach Kurosu smiles at them. “You all played well, I’m proud of you.” 

__

The team smiles lightly at this as they nod along to his words. 

__

“We’re headin’ back home tomorrow, let’s finish up with the ceremonies first, ‘kay?” 

__

__

“Gather up.” Kita calls, waiting for his teammates to line up and thank their supporters. 

__

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” 

__

Ginjima pinches his eyes shut as he starts crying, hurriedly wiping his eyes to try stop himself. Y/N pats him on the back as she throws a towel over his head, pulling him into a hug as she continues patting his back. 

__

Ojiro and Akagi also start crying as Kita and Oomimi go over to try and comfort them. 

__

Sighing to himself, Suna slumps slightly as he approaches the twins. “Those last few points were really intense…” 

__

“…Yeah.” Atsumu mutters, blankly staring at the ground. “Shame you weren’t on court with us.” 

__

“…I guess.” He sighs as they walk back to gather their things. 

__

Atsumu and Osamu blankly stare at the ground, worrying Y/N who’s still holding onto a crying Ginjima. Smiling softly, she ruffles their hair, getting their attention. Atsumu scowls at her as he tries to fix his hair, not that it does anything. 

__

“Go on, tell us we lost, tell us we’re scrubs.” Atsumu scowls as he dejectedly sighs. “I won’t argue with ya if you do…” 

__

Y/N rolls her eyes as she pats Ginjima on the back one last time, going over to hug the twins. “What happened to all that talk and confidence from before, huh? Where are the real Atsumu and Osamu?” 

__

They roll their eyes at this. 

__

Turning around, Y/N glares at Suna. “Don’t think you’re gettin’ away, Rintarou, come here, let’s have our losers group hug.” 

__

“Wow, so we _are_ losers to you.” Suna mutters sarcastically as he comes over and joins them. 

__

“You’re not losers to _me_ , but it’s true that we just lost the match.” Y/N sighs. 

__

“Ouch, rub it in wouldja?” Osamu deadpans. 

__

Y/N chuckles at this, smiling as she hugs them. “But y’know…” She trails off. 

__

They look at her in interest as she smiles softly. 

__

“Every now and then, I think, _‘Wow! My teammates are so cool…!’_ ” She laughs as they stare at her, stunned. It’s rare to get genuine praise from Y/N. 

__

Once they’ve recovered from their shock, they smile too. 

__

“Let’s destroy those Tokyo jerks at Spring High, ‘kay?” Atsumu says when Ginjima starts sniffing again. 

__

“Argh… All these emotions are making my eyes leak! I think I’m allergic guys!” 

__

“The problem is ‘Tsumu.” 

__

“I agree, let’s get rid of him.” 

__

“WOW REALLY?! WE COULDN’T HAVE A NICE MOMENT FOR MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS?!” 

__

__

Sakusa watches the exchange from Itachiyama’s bench, seeing the Inarizaki second years as they talk quietly amongst themselves and joke around. Noticing the subject of his attention, Komori looks over to the Inarizaki bench and laughs. 

__

“They seem like close friends, must be nice.” 

__

“Yeah.” Sakusa responds simply. 

__

“…If you still want to talk, it’s probably best to wait until after the awards ceremony, probably not a good time to start a conversation.” 

__

“Yeah, I think so too.” Sakusa says, as he turns away. “Let’s go.” 

__

__

**_Inarizaki High School_**  
_National Interhigh Volleyball Championships_  
_Finals - Eliminated_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally don't think any of you are ready for the next chapter... this is your only warning.
> 
> ~~~  
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	27. Until We Meet Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pfft- why are you all so scared about what's going to happen in this chapter? :) You worried about angst? :) Do you really think I'm that kind of person? :)
> 
> Anyway, nice reminder that Ginjima was the last one to touch the ball before Inarizaki lost the match haha hope this made you smile 💖

_「 Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 5 – Finals_

“C’mon L/N-chan! Quickly! We’ll be able to see ‘em clearly here!” 

“Kagawa-chan don’t run!” 

Y/N speed walks after Kagawa and Inoue as they try to quickly get good seats for the Awards Ceremony, wanting to get a good view and take nice pictures of the team. Mumbling apologies, Y/N does her best to dodge the crowds as she tries to keep up with the other managers. 

Finally making it to the main stadium, Y/N breathes out a sigh of relief for making it in time, glad she didn’t miss anything. All 56 representative schools from across Japan are already lined up in the stadium waiting for the Awards Ceremony to commence. 

“So this is the Awards Ceremony… Feels so surreal…” Inoue mutters, staring at the teams in awe. “Are they just gonna award the victors of the Boy’s and Girl’s division or is there more?” 

“Ehh kind of.” Y/N shrugs, taking a seat near the front. “They congratulate the victors first, then awards are given to the best 6 players, and 30 outstanding players and 2 outstanding liberos.” 

“Ohh yeah, I remember it from last year, it was crazy~” Kagawa laughs. 

“Damn… I sure hope someone on our team gets somethin’…” Inoue says. 

Y/N chuckles, smiling as she looks at her team, standing proudly in the stadium. 

“I don’t doubt ‘em at all.” 

_“And now, I present this award to the victors, Boy’s Division. Tokyo Prefecture Representative, Itachiyama Academy. Concluding the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as Interhigh Tournament, your team has emerged victorious. I present you this award in acknowledgement of your commendable performance.”_

The host hands the certificate over to Iizuna as he graciously bows and accepts, while Nagaoka accepts the trophy. Y/N watches as they award each of the Itachiyama’s members a medal, smiling slightly for them. They deserve it afterall. 

_“To praise all teams for their wonderful performances, I’d like to ask the audience to give them another big round of applause.”_

The audience applauses loudly for all the teams as they stand proudly, some hardcore Inarizaki fans start chanting the team name over and over again as Y/N hides her face from the onlookers. Kagawa laughs at her as she pats her shoulder, joining in on the fanchants as Y/N tries her hardest to disappear. At least this encouraged the other team’s fans to start chanting the names of other teams. 

_“We will now award the individual players of each division, awards are given to the best 6 players, and 30 outstanding players and 2 outstanding liberos. We will now announce the awards for the Girl’s division.”_

“Oh boy, I’m startin’ to get nervous now.” Kagawa mutters as they watch the girls graciously accept their awards. “I’m not even a player and I’m nervous… I can’t imagine how they’re feelin’ right now.” 

“Kagawa-san… don’t say that… my heart is pounding with nerves right now.” Inoue breathes out, clutching her bag as she watches with her eyes wide open, waiting for the Boy’s awards. 

“There’s nothin’ to be nervous about… We’re the runner up school, a well-established powerhouse. Have some faith in the boys.” Y/N says, smiling at them before turning back to the hosts. 

“L/N-chan… you’re so cool…” Kagawa breathes out as Inoue stares at her with sparkles in her eyes. Y/N sweat drops at this. 

“Right… pay attention to the awards ceremony…” Y/N mutters, blushing slightly as she turns away. The other two girls laugh at this before turning back to the hosts as they begin announcing the awards for the Boy’s division. 

_“Boy’s division, Best Scorer, Sakusa Kiyoomi of Itachiyama Academy.”_

Everyone cheers as Sakusa walks up to accept his award, approaching the presenters with his head held high, exuding dignity and confidence. 

Bowing as he accepts his award, Sakusa walks over to stand on the podium, facing the audience as they continue cheering for him. 

“Ha, as expected.” Kagawa laughs. “It’s no surprise he scored the most points in the tournament.” 

“Ushijima-senpai would definitely be pretty close I think, but Sakusa-san played more games, so I guess it’s understandable.” Y/N agrees. 

_“Best Spiker, Kiryuu Wakatsu of Mujinazaka High School.”_

Kiryuu bows deeply as he walks up to accept his award, raising his hand in acknowledgement to the crowds as they cheer for him. 

“What’s the different between _Best Scorer_ and _Best Spiker_?” Inoue asks, turning to her seniors in interest. 

“ _Best Scorer_ is for the person that scores the most points across the board, whether it be a spike, block or serve. Meanwhile, _Best Spiker_ is for the person that scores the most points with their spikes in comparison to their total number of attempts. So technically, even if you only play one game, it’s still possible for you to win _Best Spiker_ if your success rate is high enough.” Y/N explains as Kiryuu walks onto the podium. 

“Ohh I see!” 

_“Best Blocker, Hirugami Sachirou of Kamomedai High School.”_

“Who’s that?” Inoue whispers as Hirugami walks up to receive his award, appearing relaxed and carefree as he smiles. 

“The best high school blocker.” Y/N helpfully responds. 

“…Thanks.” 

_“Best Server, Miya Atsumu of Inarizaki High School.”_

Y/N takes in a deep breath as she watches Atsumu walk up to the presenters to receive his award, pride welling up inside as she smiles slightly. 

“T-that’s Atsumu, right…?” She shakily asks, pointing to him as she stares, eyes wide. Atsumu smiles brightly as he accepts his award, Y/N feels herself getting lightheaded by the amount of happiness he’s radiating. 

“Who would’ve thought that you’d be the one to get emotional.” Kagawa laughs, patting her shoulder as she takes out her phone to take pictures, not trusting that Y/N would be able to take any good ones with her hands shaking so much. “Yes, that’s him. Damn, even I’m feelin’ proud now.” 

“Miya-san won _Best Server_ … Miya-san won _Best Server_ … Miya-san won _Best Server_ …” Inoue chants to herself quietly, staring in shock as Atsumu bows and walks onto the podium. “I know he’s amazin’… and he won _Best Server_ in Middle School… but I think I’m gonna faint.” 

“Guys, stop freakin’ out.” Kagawa sighs. “There’s heaps more awards so don’t get so emotional.” 

“D’ya think I wanna be emotional??” Y/N whispers as the presenters move on to the next award. 

_“Best Libero, Komori Motoya of Itachiyama Academy.”_

Komori smiles cheerfully as he walks up to receive his award, he waves at the audience as they cheer loudly for him, bowing as he accepts his award. 

“As expected once again.” Kagawa chuckles. “What do they even feed them at Itachiyama? The whole team’s amazin’ and they all look great too. Not fair.” 

“Lots of people say that about Inarizaki too y’know.” Y/N chuckles. 

“Ehh, true I guess.” 

_“Best Setter, Miya Atsumu of Inarizaki High School.”_

“What.” Y/N says. 

Also slightly startled, Atsumu blinks in surprise before walking off the podium to accept the award, the audience applauses wildly in awe. 

“Wow… whaddya know…” Kagawa breathes out, taking out her phone to take more pictures. “Damn… try not to think too hard, L/N-chan, you might hurt your head.” 

“Atsumu… got two awards…” Y/N mutters under her breath, looking distraught. “H-he won _Best Server_ and _Best Setter_ … I think I’m gonna cry.” 

“I-it’s okay, L/N-senpai!” Inoue stutters out, taking out a pack of tissues as she holds it out to Y/N. 

“I’m not proud of him, nope no way. Don’t ever think I am, ‘kay? Nope.” Y/N says, shaking her head as she tries to compose herself. “T-that’s just one of my best friends… gettin’ the recognition he deserves…” 

Y/N shakily lifts her head as she watches Atsumu walk back onto the podium, cradling his two awards as he smiles. 

“She’s not doin’ a good job at convincin’ us she’s not proud.” Kagawa whispers to Inoue as she chuckles. “We get it, L/N-chan, you can calm yourself before Atsumu-kun finds out and teases you.” 

“Right…” Y/N breathes out, doing her best to compose herself. “We can’t have that.” 

_“And now, presenting 30 outstanding players and 2 outstanding Liberos, Boy’s division. Ushijima Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa Academy. Bokuto Koutarou of Fukurodani Academy. Ojiro Aran of Inarizaki Academy. Hoshiumi Kourai of…”_

“Wouldja look at that, Aran-san won as well~ Damn, this is such a good tournament for us.” Kagawa laughs as she takes pictures. One by one, the 30 outstanding players walk up to receive their awards. 

“Due to personal reasons, I think I’m gonna pass away.” Y/N mutters, clutching her phone as she shakily tries to take pictures of Ojiro. 

“I haven’t been on the team for very long, but I feel so proud of them.” Inoue smiles as she turns to her seniors, her bright smile blinding them as they squint at her. “I’m so honoured to be on the team with all of you!” 

“Chika-chan…” Kagawa’s eyes sparkle as she puts her phone away. “I’m so touched!” 

“You guys are causin’ a scene…” Y/N facepalms, but she can’t stop smiling. “Argh, I’m feelin’ emotions today, disgusting.” 

“N/N! Look! I got two awards!” Atsumu cheers, smiling widely as he shoves them in her face. “Hehe~ aren’tcha proud of me?” 

_‘…What do I do in this situation.’_ Thinks as she scrunches up her face, squinting at Atsumu’s blinding smile. “…Congrats, Atsumu.” 

“Thanks! I’m so happy!” He laughs, smiling proudly as he looks at his awards. 

“Don’t let it get to yer head.” Osamu deadpans as Atsumu sticks his tongue out at him. 

“Shuddup ‘Samu! Yer just jealous ‘coz I got two awards and you didn’t get any!” 

“And with a new ego boost, Atsumu proceeded to talk about how he was the only player to receive two awards, forgetting the concept of shutting up.” Suna narrates in a monotone as everyone sighs. 

Rolling his eyes, Atsumu huffs. “Shut it!” 

“We’re proud of ya, really.” Ginjima says, smiling as he pats Atsumu on the back. “Can’t believe I’m yer teammate to be honest.” 

“Gin, don’t give him more ego boosts.” Osamu mutters under his breath. 

“S’cuse me ‘Samu! But my ego perfectly matches my skills! I can talk the talk ‘coz I got the skills to prove it!” 

“Oh yeah? Prove it.” 

“…Huh?” 

“Don’t question him, N/N, ‘Tsumu’s not the brightest.” Osamu sighs. “Anyway, I’m so ready to leave and go out to eat with the rest of the team. When we leaving?” 

Y/N shrugs as she takes out her phone to check over her messages. “Ehh, I think we’re stayin’ for a bit longer ‘coz of stuff the coaches needa do. So we got a bit of time left.” 

“That sucks. I’m goin’ to the food court then.” Osamu deadpans, already starting to head in that direction. 

“Sounds great to me.” Suna shrugs as he follows, Atsumu and Ginjima also follow behind. 

Noticing that she’s not following them, Ginjima turns around to look at Y/N. “Y/N? You comin’?” 

Y/N looks at the bag of the teams bottles that she’s currently holding, knowing that they’re in dire need of washing. “…I think I’ll go clean the bottles before we leave.” 

“Y’know you can just clean ‘em when we get back, right? There’s no rush.” Atsumu says. 

“Yes, but then they’ll be disgustingly dirty and stinky. It’s got your sweat all over it, and unlike Rintarou’s sweat, it aint’ holy water.” 

“D’ya want me to go with you? I can help.” Ginjima offers but she shakes her head as she smiles. 

“Nah, s’fine. You must be super hungry and exhausted from playin’ today, you should go eat with the rest of ‘em.” Y/N says. 

“…Alright, I’ll buy you somethin’ if I find anything I think you’d like.” 

“Hitoshi… you’re so sweet.” Y/N chuckles. “Thanks, I’ll be back soon~” 

* * *

Y/N runs down the hallway as she tries to catch up with her team, having finished washing the bottles. She would have finished earlier if she wasn’t so socially inept. 

_‘Argh… why can’t I just ask for directions like a normal person…!’_ She thinks to herself as she continues running, thankfully everyone moves out of her way to let her through. _‘I needa stop wondering around… No one cares if I turn around to walk in the opposite direction!’_

_‘…At least, I hope they don’t.’_ Y/N sighs to herself as she continues running, easily getting pass the people in the hallway. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees some people point at her maroon jacket and whisper to each other, but she doesn’t have time to worry about that. 

She starts to pant slightly, already getting tired. _‘Argh, I’m so unfit.’_

Some more people point at her and whisper. “That’s Inarizaki’s manager…! I saw her on TV!” 

_‘Ew, please erase your memory.’_ Y/N mentally scowls, slowing slightly as she continues running. 

Suddenly, someone walks around the corner, getting in her way. Not even flinching, Y/N easily dodges the person, having trained reflexes from managing the Inarizaki Volleyball Club for so long. 

“Soz’!” She apologises under her breath as she runs around them, not slowing as she gets past them. 

“Wait!” 

Skidding to a stop, Y/N pants quietly as she turns around to look at the person in question. 

“Oh. Sakusa-san.” 

Sakusa looks at her curiously, most of his face covered by his facemask as he stands there. Y/N takes a few deep breaths to lessen her panting. 

“Didja need anythin’, Sakusa-san?” 

“Not really.” He says simply. “You shouldn’t run in the hallway, it’s dangerous.” 

“Yeah, soz’, I just wanted to wash the boy’s drink bottles before we went out to eat, otherwise they’d get really stinky.” She says, starting to relax slightly from running earlier. 

“I see.” 

They fall into an awkward silence as they continue staring at each other, not really knowing what to say. Racking her brain for something to say, Y/N finally thinks of something. 

“Yeah… um, congrats on winnin’ the finals, Sakusa-san, and for winnin’ _Best Scorer_ as well.” She says after a moments silence. 

“Thank you.” He nods slightly. “Your team played well too.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Yeah.” 

Falling into another awkward silence, Y/N internally cringes at the tension. It’s too bad that she’s not too good at keeping a conversation. 

“Anyway, I’m in a hurry so I needa get back, soz’ I-” 

“Would you like to exchange numbers?” 

“H-huh?” Y/N asks dumbly, startled. 

“Would you like to exchange numbers?” Sakusa repeats, still looking at her as she blinks in surprise. It’s hard to decipher his expression when most of his face is covered. After a few seconds of not thinking, Y/N finally responds. 

“…But don’tcha already have me on Instagram?” _‘Oh my gosh I’m so stupid.’_ She thinks in distraught, mentally slapping herself multiple times. _‘Why did I say that?? Oh no. Rintarou’s gonna kill me.’_

Quickly recovering from her stupidity, Y/N smiles sheepishly. 

“I-I mean, yeah sure…” 

Taking out her phone, Y/N tries to stop blushing from embarrassment, she can’t help being dumb sometimes. Luckily for her, Sakusa isn’t at all bothered, instead calmly taking out his phone as well. Knowing that he would most likely not want her to touch his phone, Y/N instead holds out her phone to show him her number, watching as he types it in himself. 

Absentmindedly putting his number into her phone, Y/N still can’t stop internally cringing at herself. After a few agonising moments, Y/N finally puts her phone away and smiles sheepishly. 

“Anyway… I’ll umm… I’ll see ya ‘round.” 

“Yeah.” Sakusa nods, completely unfazed. 

Y/N speed walks away, wanting to get back to the team so they can laugh at her stupidity and make her cringe more. Scrunching her face as she cringes, Y/N mentally slaps herself. 

_‘So embarrassing…!’_

* * *

“Oh my gosh you’re so stupid.” 

“Shuddup!” 

“He finally asked for your number and you say, _‘But don’tcha already have me on Instagram’_??” Suna asks again, losing his mind as the twins laugh uncontrollably in the background. 

“I get it! I was bein’ stupid!” 

“You nearly blew it… I would’ve cried…” Suna mutters, holding his head in his hands. 

“We exchanged numbers in the end anyway, so stop complaining.” Y/N deadpans, returning back to her meal as she tries to eat in silence. Of course that’d be too much to ask. 

Sighing to himself, Suna crosses his arms. “Thankfully. Nice cover.” 

“Wait, so you got Sakusa’s number, right?” Atsumu asks, smirking mischievously as he turns to her. 

“…Your face is tellin’ me that it would be a bad idea to answer your question.” She mutters, doing her best to ignore him. 

“Text him now! Text him now!” Atsumu cheers enthusiastically, eyes sparkling as he reaches for her phone. Annoyed, she snatches it away from him, not letting him get it. 

“No. Let me eat in peace.” 

“Suna!” 

“Text him! Text him! Text him!” Suna and Atsumu chant in unison, quickly annoying the third years at the other table. 

“Can you second years keep it down??” Ojiro complains. 

“We can, but we won’t!” Atsumu responds, before turning back to Y/N. “Text him!” 

“No!” 

“Why not?” Suna asks as he smirks, leaning back in his seat. “The more you refuse… the more suspicious you become…” 

Y/N sighs at this. “You’re talkin’ to the master of manipulation here, you can’t manipulate me into doin’ what you want.” 

“But we can annoy you into it!” Atsumu cheers, trying to grab her phone. “C’mon! It’s just a text!” 

“I said no! Osamu! Control your brother!” 

“No.” 

Atsumu gasps in delight. “See?? Even ‘Samu’s not stoppin’ me!” 

“Nah, he said ‘no’. Like I’ve been sayin’, so he’s on my side.” Y/N says matter of factly, glaring at Atsumu and Suna as she holds her phone tightly. 

“Actually-” 

“Shuddup, Osamu.” 

Ginjima, who’s been quietly eating the whole time, sighs as he puts his chopsticks down, turning to them with dead eyes. “Are you guys gonna stop annoyin’ Y/N anytime soon? She already said she’s not gonna, so don’t bother her anymore.” 

“See? Hitoshi’s on my side.” Y/N says. 

“But Ginnnn~!” Atsumu whines. “It’ll be fun! Please!” 

“Yeah, come on Gin.” Suna cuts in. “It’ll be fun!” 

Ginjima sighs at this. “I’ve been hangin’ ‘round you guys for too long now, I know you all have twisted versions of _‘fun’_.” 

“Lost cause.” Suna mutters as he turns to whisper to Atsumu, they quietly conspire together as they watch the other second years. “What now?” 

“Knowin’ N/N, she ain’t gonna give in anytime soon… maybe bribes?” 

“That’s true… she is easily convinced by bribes…” Suna mutters, thinking carefully. “Any ideas?” 

“Nope.” 

“Helpful as always.” 

Y/N sighs to herself as the two boys continue to whisper about her right in front of her face, putting her bowl down as she looks at them with dead eyes. They probably can’t think of anything good to bribe her with anyway. 

Turning to them, they straighten up under her cold gaze as she stares at them. 

“…Buy me some stationery from _Loft_.” She mutters, watching as their eyes start sparkling in excitement. 

“So you’ll text him if we do??” 

Already knowing that it’s too late to back out, Y/N sighs. “Yes. Fine, whatever.” 

“Yes!!” Atsumu cheers as Suna gasps in delight, they excitedly turn to each other and high five before squeezing next to her. Osamu, noticing the commotion, subtly joins them. He wouldn’t admit it, but he wants to be part of the drama too. 

Sighing, Y/N takes out her phone. She’ll probably regret this, but at least they’re happy. The only cost is her dignity. 

Typing out a simple _‘Hi’_ , Y/N’s about to click send before Atsumu lets out a scandalised gasp as Suna snatches her phone away. 

“Don’t just say _‘Hi’_! You hafta say more than that!! Quick, Suna! type out somethin’ better!” Atsumu commands. 

“ _‘I love you.’_ ” Suna says as he types it out. “That sounds like a good conversation starter.” 

“Alright, that’s too far.” Atsumu deadpans as he takes the phone out of Suna’s hands. 

“Argh, fine! You two are so annoyin’!” She huffs, snatching her phone back as she starts typing out her own message. 

_‘Hi, congratulations for winning again. I hope you made it back to your hotel safely.’_

“Is this okay with you guys?” She deadpans, holding her phone out to them. Atsumu and Suna rub their chins in thought as they read over the message. 

“Hmm… you can remove the congratulations part, he doesn’t need that.” Atsumu says as Suna laughs. 

Looking over their shoulders, Osamu clears his throat, getting their attention. “I think it’s pretty good, starts a conversation.” They all stare at him blankly, not really knowing how to respond. He raises an eyebrow at this. “What?” 

“Didn’t think you’d be interested in this kind of stuff.” Suna shrugs as he turns back to Y/N’s phone. “Alright, send it.” 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N sends the text and puts her phone back in her pocket, going back to her food. Suna pouts at this, causing her to sigh. “What? D’ya really think he’d respond right awa-” 

_Buzz. Buzz._

“…” 

Y/N ignores her phone as she continues eating, not making eye contact with the boys as they begin to have a meltdown. 

“CHECK YOUR PHONE WOMAN!” 

“He responded oh my gosh he responded.” 

“I wanna know what he said sO CHECK YOUR PHONE!” 

“Geez! You guys are more excited than me!” Y/N huffs, taking her phone out. 

_‘Thank you. I did.’_

The four of them stare in silence at the message. Quietly, Y/N puts her phone back in her pocket and continues eating. Cue the next meltdown. 

“THAT’S IT??” 

“Message him back!” 

“You’re our only hope, N/N! Keep the conversation going!” 

Y/N groans as she slams her head on the table. “I already texted him like you wanted! Is that not enough for you three??” 

“NO!” 

Y/N facepalms and takes a few deep breaths to try and calm herself, slowly turning to look at Ginjima. The only responsible second year is currently eating quietly at the corner of the table, doing an amazing job at ignoring the chaos around him. Sensing her gaze, he glances up at her and smiles, before turning back to his food and ignoring her. 

“Hitoshi, please help.” She whispers to him. Sighing, Ginjima takes his phone out and types something. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

“WAS THAT SAKUSA??” Atsumu questions enthusiastically as she takes out her phone. 

_‘No. – Gin’_

“…” The four second years stare at Ginjima’s text in silence, not knowing how to react. After a few moments, Atsumu recovers. 

“Alright, since this is a team effort now, let’s devise what we should text Sakusa next.” 

“We? I thought it was meant to be me…” Y/N trails off, realising that they’re not listening to her, and instead planning amongst themselves. Sighing to herself, she takes her phone out and messages him herself. 

“No, that wouldn’t work.” Suna says. 

“It could… Or maybe she should bring up volleyball?” Atsumu suggests. 

“Not everyone wants to marry volleyball like you, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu deadpans. 

The three of them continue to discuss the _Sakusa Issue_ amongst themselves, not knowing that Y/N’s in the middle of a conversation with him at the moment. After a few more minutes of conspiring, they finally come to a conclusion. 

“Alright, N/N, ya needa- wait what are you doin’?” 

“Hm? Talkin’ to Sakusa-san.” Y/N responds boredly as she glances up at them. 

“WHAT?!” 

They instantly rush over to look at her phone, wanting to know what they’re talking about. 

“Whaddya talkin’ about??” 

“Has he confessed yet?” 

“This is more interestin’ than the drama’s ‘Tsumu forces me to watch.” 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N facepalms. “We’re just talkin’ about school at the moment. Y’know, like normal people.” 

“Boring! Does he know you’re single??” Atsumu asks. 

“I’m pretty sure everyone knows.” Y/N deadpans. “Or are you tryna hurt my feelings right now?” 

“Tell him you like volleyball players.” Osamu pipes up. 

“No no, you two got it wrong.” Suna says enthusiastically. “Tell him you like tall, dark haired, flexible guys. Then say ‘like Suna Rintarou’ in the next text, HAHHAHHAA-ACK! I was joking!” 

“Take this seriously, Suna!” Atsumu groans. “This is a delicate process!” 

“Wait a minute, I thought you didn’t ship us together, Atsumu?” Y/N looks at him questioningly. 

“Oh I don’t, I’m just here for the drama.” He shrugs. “Anyway, we need a game plan.” 

“No, we don’t.” Y/N deadpans. 

“Yes, we do!” They insist. “Trust us!” 

“What kind of idiot would trust a fox.” She sighs, feeling her patience starting to run thin. “You three better knock it off before I get mad.” 

“Just trust us N/N!” Osamu insists, smiling innocently. “We’ll build you guys, uh, good friendship.” 

Suna snorts at that. “Yeah, _‘friendship’_.” 

“I’m not givin’ you guys my phone!” 

Y/N silently sits next to Ginjima as she watches the other three second years use her phone to text Sakusa. At this point, she’s starting to think that the three of them are interested in him. They’ve only had her phone for a few minutes, but she knows it’s too long. They’re probably ruining her life right now. 

Glancing at her, Ginjima sighs. “…I’ll help you.” 

She turns to him excitedly, eyes sparkling. “Really??” 

“Yeah, I’ll help you get your phone back and undo whatever damage the three idiots have done.” He sighs, wondering if he’d ever get a break from the chaos of the second years. 

Standing up, he wacks all three of them on the back of the head as he snatches Y/N’s phone away. “Alright children, that’s enough. Play time’s over.” 

“But Gin! We were gettin’ to the good part!” Atsumu whines. 

“…What did you three do…?” Ginjima hesitantly asks, feeling incredibly concerned. 

“Nothin’ bad, don’t worry.” Osamu rolls his eyes. “We’re not gonna ruin yer life you know.” 

“Your words do nothing to reassure me.” Y/N deadpans, glaring at the three of them. “Hitoshi, make sure Miya, Miya and Suna don’t move. I’ll be back once the damage is undone.” 

Suddenly feeling even more concerned, Ginjima hesitantly nods as Y/N leaves to go to the bathroom. 

Y/N’s too scared to look through the texts, not knowing what she’d do if she saw something she didn’t want to see. 

_‘Should I just message him and tell him it was the three of them…? Or would calling be easier to explain??’_

Currently having a mental breakdown in the bathroom, Y/N starts envisioning terrible scenarios that most definitely will not happen. Her thoughts get interrupted once her phone starts ringing. 

_‘Sakusa Kiyoomi is calling…’_

_‘Oh no.’_ She thinks in distraught. _‘I’m doomed.’_

As much as she wants to drown herself in her endless thoughts, she knows there’s no point. Taking a deep breath, she accepts the call. 

“Sakusa-” 

_“I’m sorry.”_

“Huh?” 

_“Komori took my phone earlier and was messaging you. I apologise for any misunderstandings he could have created or if he said anything that made you uncomfortable.”_

Y/N breathes out a sigh of relief, suddenly feeling lighter. 

“Oh. That’s good.” 

_“How is that good?”_

“‘Coz the twins and Rintarou took my phone earlier and was messagin’ you too.” She explains, chuckling slightly at the comedic situation. “I was about to apologise, but you beat me to it.” 

_“I see.”_ Sakusa responds simply, sighing. _“I’m glad that Komori’s messages didn’t cause you any trouble then.”_

Y/N lets out a laugh. “I’m glad the boys didn’t cause you any issues either, I apologise for the trouble this whole ordeal caused you though.” 

_“It’s alright, you have nothing to apologise for.”_

Smiling, Y/N lets out a sigh. “Anyway, I’ll leave you in peace now. Talk to you later?” 

_“Yeah.”_ Sakusa responds simply. _“I prefer calling over texting since I don’t like touching things. So if you ever need to contact me for whatever reason, just call, it’s easier for me.”_

“Alright, bye then, Sakusa-san.” 

_“Goodbye.”_

Hanging up, Y/N sighs in relief as she holds her head in her hands, she’s lucky that there was no crisis. Finally leaving the bathroom, Y/N gets curious enough to look at the messages the three idiots sent, opening them up to read. 

“…” 

“You three have five seconds to run.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE DID IT GUYS! WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS! I BLUSHED SO MANY TIMES JUST WRITING THIS OMG I'M FINE I SWEAR
> 
> S-so what did you guys think...? //v//
> 
> I've been planning and building up to the scenes in this chapter for so long omg XD It lowkey feels surreal now that we're finally making progress... I took this slow burn really seriously... XD
> 
> This chapter concludes the Interhigh arc~ =w= I feel like time flew by XD Interhigh was so intense and I spent a lot of time researching and writing all the chapters, but now we're moving onto the next arc already omg :'D and the next arc... what I have planned... oh boy :) 
> 
> That being said, I know I force you guys to look at my art a lot but sorry not sorry O3O so if you want to see one of my recent artworks that I'm really proud of, here it is: [[click if you love Sakusa]](https://www.instagram.com/p/CBXhtkKHYf3/)
> 
> Anyway~ I have completed majority of my assignments now, and only have one left OuO It's the hardest and most intense one so I hope I'll survive welp, but I'm so glad to have finished all my others XD I was on the verge of burnout because I was so exhausted but thankfully I'm fine XD
> 
> Thankyou so much for reading! It's been a long(ish) journey so far, and now that Interhigh's over everything's starting to move into motion... just as I planned... >:D _huehuehue~_ See you in the next chapter! OuO
> 
> ~~~  
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	28. Consequences

Getting back to Hyogo after a long exhausting and intense week is a blessing, Y/N can finally return to her daily life and fall back into her ordinary routine; avoiding her family and drawing while she’s meant to be sleeping. School doesn’t start again for a few weeks, so she’s free to spend the rest of her summer holiday however she pleases. 

Or at least she _would_ if she wasn’t the Inarizaki manager. 

After their commendable performance at Interhigh, Coach Kurosu had requested for permission to use the school gymnasium for a week, even though it was still school holidays. The school immediately granted permission, of course. So after a weekend of rest, it’s back to school for Y/N, much fun. 

For now though, she’s enjoying her alone time in her room, having no plans to leave ever, not that her parents would let her anyway. Lazily scrolling through her Twitter feed, Y/N suddenly gets a notification that Osamu posted something, instantly perking her interest as she clicks. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this. 

**Miya Osamu 🍙 is hungry** | _@miya_osamuu95_  
_“get better soon Assumu.”_

Osamu had posted a black and white picture of Atsumu tripping over a volleyball, adding an exaggerated grain filter over the top. 

_**@ineedtosleep** what’s wrong with Miya-senpai?? Is he sick?? Did he get hurt???_  
_**@miya_osamuu95** what’s wrong with him? Too many things… that’s why he needs to get better soon_  
_**@miya_osamuu95** and I’m the one that’s sick_  
_**@miya_osamuu95** sick of him_  
_**@sunastan37** wwwww maybe if he stanned suna_

Nope. Quickly turning her phone off, Y/N decided she wasn’t going to deal with this today. She’ll just have to enjoy her weekend off. 

* * *

“What I’m sayin’ is, no one will blame us for _accidentally_ missin’ our bus stop.” 

“Y/N-chan, we take this bus every day, they’re not that stupid.” 

“Are’ya sure?” 

Akagi doesn’t respond as he drags Y/N out of the bus and towards the gym, ignoring her grumbling along the way. School holidays should be for _resting_ , not coming back to school to babysit some teenage boys. But she only has herself to blame, she’s the one that signed up for this afterall. 

Akagi sighs at her grumbling, stopping for a bit as he turns to her with an unimpressed motherly look. “What? How bad could it be? It’s just another club day.” 

“Oh no. You asked the cursed question.” Y/N mutters in distraught, stumbling back as she nervously looks around for an escape. 

“What cursed question?” 

“ _‘How bad could it be?’_ We’re doomed! Akagi-senpai, we need to escape while we can! We need to save ourselves!” 

“You’re bein’ dramatic.” He deadpans. 

“No I’m not!” 

“Seriously, Y/N-chan! We were all together two days ago, nothin’ bad could’ve happened in two days! I promise, nothing’s wrong.” 

_Sniffff~_ Atsumu takes in a deep breath as he tries to snort up his snot, face flushed as he dizzily tries to will himself into good health. He’s sick. 

“What’s up Atsumu, you catch a cold?” Ginjima asks as he puts his shoes on, looking up at him. “Are you sure you don’t needa go and rest?” 

“This is nothin’! I’ll just get worse if I don’t get to play volleyball!!” Atsumu declares, groaning as he loses his focus once again. 

“Oooh! You’ve got spirit man! Ball is life!” Ginjima chuckles. 

“Go home.” 

Atsumu and Ginjima turn around at the sound of Kita’s voice, finding him staring at them with a blank face. They instantly start feeling a little nervous. 

“Don’t praise someone for failing to take proper care of their health.” Kita states seriously, staring directly at Ginjima as he sweat drops and averts his eyes. 

_‘Why am I the one getting told off…’_

“Damn, he’s frosty.” Suna mutters to Osamu as he sweat drops, glad that he’s not on the receiving end. 

“Yeah dude, Imma catch a cold from this.” Osamu mutters back as he shivers. 

Standing in the doorway, Y/N shakily clutches onto Akagi’s sleeve as she shakes him back and forth, the third year just accepts his fate as he flops around with a dead face, letting her freak out. 

“Akagi-senpai…! I knew it! We really _are_ doomed!” 

“Y/N-chan, calm down. It’s just Atsumu gettin’ sick. Worst case scenario? He takes too long to recover. Best case scenario? He doesn’t recover.” Akagi deadpans as Osamu snorts at this, quickly walking away so Kita doesn’t tell him off for being lazy. 

“But how did he get sick?” Y/N mutters, calming down slightly as she tries to think. 

_“City air quality’s as terrible as I remember.” Atsumu comments, sniffing around._

_“Then put a facemask on…” Y/N deadpans, they’re all wearing facemasks except Atsumu._

_“No, never. Cover my face and ruin my good looks? Nuh-uh. Nope.”_

_“Your stubbornness is gonna get you sick.”_

1\. He refuses to wear a facemask, even when travelling to the big cities. 

_“Atsumu, I’d_ strongly _advise you to take a nap right now…” Y/N mutters, eyeing him carefully as he waves her off._

_“N/N, I’m fine. Just because almost everyone else is nappin’, doesn’t mean I needa as well.”_

_“Atsumu… you’re the only regular who isn’t takin’ a nap right now, I seriously think you should… Don’t you wanna replenish your energy before the Shiratorizawa match?”_

_“I already said I’m fine.” He rolls his eyes. “I ain’t tired right now anyways. Plus, you’re plannin’ on lookin’ around right? I’ll go with you~”_

_Y/N sighs in exasperation, glancing at Osamu, Suna and Ginjima as they nap in their seats. “Argh whatever, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”_

2\. He doesn’t rest when he should. 

_“This is Atsumu’s phone. Surprise surprise, he was stayin’ up late watchin’ Itachiyama’s games.” Coach Kurosu sighs as he hands the phone to Y/N._

_“Wow, what a surprise.” Y/N drones sarcastically._

_“Argh… that kid…” Coach Kurosu groans. “We don’t want ‘im gettin’ sick y’know, but he refuses to make sure he’s keepin’ warm and gettin’ enough sleep. Kids think they’re invincible these days…”_

3\. He fails to take care of himself. 

Y/N facepalms at this, she should have seen it coming from a mile away. She’s just glad that he got sick _after_ Interhigh. Imagine the tantrums he would have thrown if he was sick _during_ Interhigh… The horrors of having to babysit an Atsumu in a different prefecture… She shivers at the thought. 

“You look like you just reached an epiphany.” Akagi chuckles, snapping her back into reality. 

“Yes, well, I guess I just realised that the timing is actually a blessing.” Y/N sighs tiredly. “I’m gonna go to the locker room, make sure he doesn’t destroy anythin’ in rage…” 

“Have fun~” Akagi calls as he heads over to the other side to change his shoes. 

Sighing once again, Y/N begrudgingly heads over to the locker room, just as she reaches out to open the door, she already hears Atsumu screech from inside. 

“WHAT THE ACTUAL HECKIN’ HECK!?!” 

Sweat dropping, Y/N quietly opens the door and takes out her phone to film. She should probably stop hanging out with Suna so much, she’s picking up his habits. 

“Can’t he phrase things with a lil’ more finesse?!” Atsumu screeches as he stomps around the locker room. Y/N says nothing as she continues to film. 

“Hmm?” Atsumu stops in his temper tantrum as he notices a plastic bag on the bench, looking at it carefully. 

_‘Dear Atsumu,_  
_Eat a proper meal and then sleep._

_Kita.’_

“DAMN NINJAS CUTTING ONIONS HERE!!” Atsumu yells as he grabs his head. “Pickled plums!” 

“Wow, maybe bein’ sick ain’t so bad.” Y/N says, causing Atsumu to flinch as he turns around, but he turns around too fast. He stumbles a bit as he tries to regain his footing. 

“W-wha? N/N! Stop filmin’ me! You ain’t Suna!” 

“You sure ‘bout that?” Y/N chuckles ominously as she pretends to remove her hair as if it were a wig. “Behold! I am Suna Rintarou!” 

“Very funny, N/N.” Atsumu deadpans. “I’m sick, not stupid.” 

“Actually, you’re both.” 

“Oi!” 

Atsumu grumbles under his breath as she smirks, watching him as he starts collecting all his belongings to head home. Kita definitely won’t let him go to any of the training sessions for the week, knowing this, Atsumu sighs to himself. He doesn’t want to miss out on volleyball. 

“…Are’ya gonna be okay gettin’ home by yourself?” Y/N asks as Atsumu dejectedly glances up at her. 

“Yeah, s’fine.” He mutters, sniffing once again. “Man, this sucks.” 

“Your nose, or the situation?” 

Atsumu glares at her as she puts her hands in mock surrender, chuckling under her breath as he returns to sulking. 

“Take care of yourself at home, Atsumu. You don’t wanna disappoint Kita-senpai.” 

“Yeah yeah, I know.” He sighs turning to leave as he waves her goodbye. “Later.” 

Y/N waves him off before turning back to get back to her duties as manager, the team easily falls into their usual preparation routines as they wait for everyone to arrive. She doesn’t want to admit it, but she knows everyone’s thinking the same thing. 

It’s quiet without Atsumu. 

* * *

After a nice long week of volleyball training and no Atsumu, Y/N can finally relax and focus on her own things, waking up in the bright and early afternoon. Taking out all her digital art supplies, Y/N starts working on a new artwork before her phone starts buzzing with notifications. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

Y/N sweat drops as she tries to resist the urge to check her phone, repeatedly reminding herself that she should focus. But suddenly, her phone starts ringing. 

_‘Miya Osamu is calling…’_

She groans as she facepalms, she seriously can never catch a break. Begrudgingly, she answers her phone. 

“What do you want.” 

_“Wow, is that how you greet your friends?”_ Osamu deadpans from the other side. 

“Only the annoying ones, now answer my question.” 

Osamu chuckles. _“Well… You know how you’re my best friend…? My most favourite person ever…?”_

“That’s not gonna work. Spit it out or I’m hangin’ up.” She deadpans, already knowing that he wants something from her. 

_“Please save me.”_

“What?” 

_“I can’t deal with ‘Tsumu anymore, please save me.”_ Osamu blurts out, pacing around as he waits for her answer. 

“What? Why would I help you?” 

_“Please, I’m literally begging you. I can’t guarantee that I’d let him live if I stay ‘round him much longer.”_

“Nice, takin’ one for the team.” Y/N shrugs in disinterest, not really caring about his suffering. 

_“Please! I just wanna get away from him! But mum would kill me if I left him home alone!”_ Osamu insists, starting to sound frantic. 

“That’s too bad, I’ll attend your funeral though.” Y/N says in disinterest, still not really caring. “Which story d’ya want me to tell everyone ‘bout you? The one where you messaged Sakusa-san that-” 

_“Don’t distract me. I’ll do anything.”_ Osamu says seriously. 

“Anything? Really?” Y/N perks up as she smirks. 

He hesitates for a moment. _“…Possibly.”_

“You don’t sound so certain~” She chuckles, enjoying his suffering. “Whatcha offerin’?” 

He hesitates once again, thinking carefully to himself. 

“Nothing? Oh well, that’s too bad-” 

_“I’ll get Suna to delete his Atsumu hate account.”_ He blurts out. 

“His what?” 

_“I’ll get him to delete it.”_ Osamu insists. 

“Rintarou has a _what_???” 

_“It doesn’t matter! It’ll be gone if you agree! So do we have a deal or not??”_ Osamu groans, feeling himself quickly becoming hysterical. He just needs to get away from Atsumu’s sickly body. 

“…I’m not done with you. Tell Rintarou I’m not done with him either.” Y/N deadpans, glaring at the window in front of her. Of course it’d be too much to ask to have a break day. 

_“Thank you so much.”_ Osamu breathes out, suddenly feeling relieved. 

“Whatever, it’s my job as manager anyway.” She mutters, thinking to herself as she tries to come up with excuses to leave her house, her parents would never let her go out to see a friend. 

_“You say that, but in truth, it’s actually ‘coz you’ve gone soft.”_ Osamu chuckles, causing her to raise her eyebrow at this. 

“Whaddya mean by that?” 

_“You were harsh and distant when we were your ‘fellow clubmates’. But now we’re yer friends~”_

“Disgusting.” 

_“Likewise.”_

“Goodbye.” 

_“Seeya.”_

Y/N groans to herself as she facepalms. Quickly getting up to pack her bags and head over to the Miya household. Maybe she _has_ gone soft. 

Y/N sighs as she gets off the bus, she can’t believe she’s spending some of her precious holiday saving Osamu from Atsumu. The brat just keeps causing everyone trouble. As she starts walking towards his residence, she notices a convenience store along the way, halting her in her movements as she thinks to herself. 

_‘…It’d be rude to go to someone’s house without bringing gifts…’_ She thinks to herself. _‘Not to mention, Atsumu’s sick so it’d probably be nice to get him some sick people stuff…’_

She quietly enters the convenience store and looks around, before realising that she has absolutely _no idea_ what to get for a sick person. Being an expert at _The Art of Denial TM_ includes denying when she’s unwell, so she usually wills herself back to good health. 

Mentally facepalming, she takes out her phone to call someone for help. Logically, she’d call Kita in the scenario, but her brain is telling her that it’d be a mistake. 

_‘The sun will go down before he finishes his speech and lecture about good health… I don’t wanna somehow say something wrong and get scolded…’_ She mentally deadpans, deciding that calling Kita would be a bad idea. 

Although knowing he probably won’t be much help, if any, Y/N decides to try her luck at calling Suna. 

He picks up instantly, of course. 

_“What.”_

“Yo Rintarou, I’m headin’ over to the Miya household to take care of Atsumu and-” 

_“Wrong bendy boy.”_

Suna instantly hangs up on her, making her glare at her phone in irritation. She should have known. Sighing to herself, she hesitantly takes out Sakusa’s number. 

_‘This is a bad idea.’_ She thinks to herself. _‘There’s literally so many other club members I could call right now, I can’t ask someone that’s practically a stranger for help.’_

She groans as she turns her phone off and puts it back in her pocket, only to instantly take it back out again and turn it on. _‘…He probably would be the most helpful though…’_

Sighing to herself, she decides to just message him first. It’s not a big deal anyway. 

_‘Hi Sakusa-san, I know this is weird, but how would you take care of a sick person? Or I guess in your case, how would you take care of yourself?’_

Sending the message, Y/N doesn’t even bother putting her phone back in her pocket. Sakusa’s an oddly fast responder. 

_‘Are you sick?’_

Y/N almost laughs, quickly responding. 

_‘Nah.’_

Almost instantly, Sakusa starts calling her as she picks up. 

“Sorry to bother you, Sakusa-san.” 

_“It’s fine, why do you ask though?”_ He responds. 

“Well… Atsumu’s sick, and I’m gonna go over to help him now.” 

_“Let him die.”_

Y/N chuckles at this. “I would, but we kinda need him for the club. I don’t really know what to do when someone’s sick ‘coz when I get sick I just wait it out, maybe sleep a bit more, but I just keep workin’ through it.” She shrugs despite the fact that he can’t see her. “But anyway, I don’t really know what medicines people take, or what they eat to help them get better and I figured you’d probs know a lot.” 

_“Go to a General Practitioner for a regular check-up.”_ He responds simply. _“They will help you get access to services that’ll help you.”_

“What if that’s not possible?” 

_“There is also online E-medicine though. You have to first figure out what caused the illness in order to determine how to treat it properly.”_

“…Do we need to be so specific?” Y/N asks, not really seeing the point. 

_“By seeking health care professionals, even just once, you save the trouble of having to guess what’s wrong with your body. You shouldn’t take illnesses so lightly; they can’t be treated randomly.”_ He says seriously. 

“…What if going to a GP is too much trouble.” Y/N asks after a while. “What general things would you do?” 

_“I would encourage the person to go to.”_ He answers. _“You can even go together if you want.”_

“…Going to the GP is too much trouble.” Y/N repeats. 

_“Maybe persuade him to go then, depending on how severe the illness is, going to the doctors could save your life.”_

“Sakusa-san… it’s just a normal cold.” Y/N says, sweat dropping. 

_“Oh.”_

“It’s nothing serious…” 

_“Oh, why didn’t you say it was a cold then?”_ He asks. 

“…Did you seriously think Atsumu was gonna die or something??” Y/N laughs, finding the whole thing hilarious. 

_“Well, you said he was sick but didn’t specify.”_ Sakusa mutters. _“So I assumed something fatal happened.”_

Y/N chuckles at this. “Sakusa-san, it’s nothing big. He’s just got a cold is all.” 

_“That’s still fatal, he can still die. He can infect you and you can die too.”_

“I promise I won’t get infected by his germs.” Y/N says, still finding the whole conversation amusing. 

_“That’s good. But… you can’t see a GP even through a call…?”_

“Just assume there are no doctors!” Y/N facepalms, Sakusa chuckles at this. 

_“Alright, mild sickness with no doctors.”_ He repeats. _“Get him to rest, if he refuses to rest, like he probably would, find a way to knock him out, maybe hide his volleyballs to add to his distress.”_

“Right…” She chuckles. “What kind of foods would you bring?” 

_“Are you at the convenience store?”_

“Yeah.” 

_“Are you sure you want to spend money on him? I wasn’t joking when I said to let him die.”_

“Don’t worry, Sakusa-san. In fact, the more I buy, the better, I’m makin’ him pay.” 

_“In that case…”_ Sakusa pauses for a moment to think. _“Something light, like miso soup. Honey lemon things are also good for the immune system, so you can look around the store for anything like that. This isn’t really a thing to buy, but make sure he drinks a lot of warm water.”_

“Alright.” Y/N confirms. “Do you usually take medicine when you get a cold?” 

_“Personally, I don’t. A cold is viral, meaning you can’t cure the cause, but you can treat the symptoms. You can look for medicines to reduce symptomatic effects, but his immune system should do most of the work.”_

“Oh I see.” Y/N says, nodding along. 

_“But Miya is so dirty maybe his immune system doesn’t work anymore…”_ He mutters. 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Y/N laughs. “Thank you, Sakusa-san. You really helped me a lot.” 

_“It’s fine. There’s still the option to let him die though.”_

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” She chuckles. “I hope your Summer holidays are going well.” 

_“They are, thank you. They are significantly better now that I’m aware that Miya is suffering from his foolishness.”_

Y/N laughs at this. “I’d prefer if his suffering didn’t inconvenience me, but oh well.” 

_“Yes, that is a shame.”_ Sakusa agrees. _“Be sure to stay away from him and his germs, wear a facemask to protect yourself and don’t be afraid to spray him with disinfectant. Maybe spray him with insect repellent to be safe.”_

She chuckles at this, smiling as she looks around the store. “I’ll keep that in mind, Sakusa-san. Thank you for all your help.” 

_“It’s alright.”_

“Goodbye then.” 

_“Goodbye.”_

Hanging up, Y/N smiles as she puts her phone in her pocket, looking around to find things for Atsumu. Now all she needs to do, is babysit the brat. 

* * *

“Oh, yer finally here.” Osamu breathes out in relief, quickly grabbing her bags and taking them inside. “Thank you so much.” 

“Didja think I would bail on you?” She deadpans, finding his frantic state amusing. 

“No, I know you wouldn’t. I’m just eager to get away.” He mutters, slowing down as he sighs. “Yer a saint for comin’ to look after him, literally no one else would even consider.” 

Y/N shrugs at this. “I don’t blame ‘em, you see how terrible his personality is.” 

“That’s true, but that just makes it more amazin’ that you’re willin’ to look after him.” Osamu says, putting her bags down and taking some of the food she bought to the kitchen. “I’ll help ya prepare before I run away.” 

Y/N chuckles at this. “Thanks I guess.” 

Nodding along, Osamu quickly starts preparing the miso soup, letting her watch him work, finding him oddly calming to watch. 

“You really like cookin’, huh?” She asks, smiling slightly as he glances up at her. 

“Yeah, it’s somethin’ ‘Tsumu can’t do, so it’s a skill I treasure.” Osamu chuckles. “Mum loves it when I cook anyways, so that’s a plus.” 

“Yeah, that’s sweet~” Y/N smiles. “Must be nice.” 

“You can help yourself to anythin’ in the kitchen, I’m pretty sure mum trusts you more than she trusts us.” Osamu says as he puts on his shoes. “So don’t worry ‘bout anythin’. Call me if he causes too much trouble and I’ll come straight home so you can film me murder him.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this. “Not if I get to him first, boy.” 

Chuckling, Osamu gets his bag and starts heading towards the door. “Really, thank you so much for agreeing… You’re a life saver.” 

“Literally.” She deadpans. 

“Yeah, literally.” He chuckles. “Y’know, back last year, I didn’t really think we’d all get this close, especially you and ‘Tsumu.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this. “We’re not _that_ close, Osamu.” 

“You say that, but ‘Tsumu’s never really had friends, never been good at makin’ any.” Osamu sighs. “Doesn’t excuse him bein’ a jerk to you though.” 

“It didn’t really bother me, and it still doesn’t bother me.” Y/N shrugs. “Seriously, he was just a jerk that happened to be a fellow clubmate. And now, he’s just a jerk that happens to be my f- fri- frie- Argh I can’t say it.” 

“Don’t worry, I understand.” Osamu chuckles. “He’s just a jerk that happens to be my br- bro- b-” 

“Bother?” She suggests, smirking as he starts smirking too. 

“That’s the one. Anyways, I’m gonna leave now. Really, thanks so much, Y/N.” Osamu smiles, turning around to hug her quickly, much to her surprise. 

“…Yer makin’ me think that there’s some kind of catch…” She mutters, squinting her eyes at him suspiciously as she returns the hug. 

“What could be worse than ‘Tsumu?” Osamu jokes, smirking as he walks out the door. “See’ya N/N.” 

“Later.” 

Y/N sighs to herself as she closes the door, turning around to get to Atsumu. Guess it’s time to take care of her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE! And on 0 sleep 🤩🤩 I finally finished my final assignment for the semester and omg the relief and freedom I feel right now is unreal, I'm going to crash and sleep through the afternoon right after this (since it's already late morning and I've been awake for... who knows how long :)))
> 
> Anyway!! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I wanted to get it out earlier but like I said, super busy and no sleep :'D Good news is! The next few should come out promptly now that I'm officially free and on holidays! 🤩
> 
> I don't think any of you can guess what's going to happen in the next chapter, so I'm curious to know what you guys think will happen XD It's something I've planned from the beginning so ya O3O What do you guys think is going to happen next chapter? :)
> 
> Honestly, the whole conversation with Sakusa was so oddly amusing to me XD I actually asked one of my friends (who's studying medicine) how she'd help someone with a cold, since I actually don't get sick often, (I get sick maybe once every 3 years?) and even then, I don't really do anything to take care of myself anyway XD I just keep working through the exhaustion :)) But her immediate reaction was to think that I was suffering from some fatal illness that needed professional consultation XD so yeah XD 
> 
> Anyway~ I am, once again, really proud of my most recent artwork =w= So if you want to check it out, it's here: [[Click if you stan Sakusa]](https://www.instagram.com/p/CBfzkZtnc2b/)
> 
> So yeah! OuO I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ I look forward to seeing you in the next one... where... _[redacted]_
> 
> ~~~  
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	29. Atsumu and Y/N

_Approximately 1 year and 4 months earlier…_

_「 Inarizaki High School 」_  
_April 2011_

“Hello, my name is L/N Y/N, I’ll be joinin’ as a manager. Please take care of me.” Y/N bows as the rest of the club members clap, welcoming her. A girl with short silver hair stands beside her, grinning as she introduces herself as well. 

“Hi! My name’s Kagawa Ginko, I look forward to bein’ yer manager!” Bowing quickly, Kagawa excitedly glances at Y/N, smiling cheerfully at her as Y/N smiles politely in response. She didn’t come here to make friends. 

“So why’dja decide to join L/N-chan?” Kagawa asks her excitedly as they help pack up after the first day. 

“I was on the volleyball team in middle school, but bein’ a player isn’t for me.” Y/N shrugs in disinterest, not wanting to be rude. While her explanation is partially true, she can’t tell Kagawa that her _main_ reason is to impress her parents with the high status of the club, and to find an excuse to stay away from home. 

“Oh wow! That’s so cool!” Kagawa exclaims. “I was the manager back in middle school, so I thought it’d be nice to continue! I really look forward to spendin’ time with you and the rest of the team!” 

“Ah, thank you. The feeling is mutual.” Y/N responds politely before turning back to continue packing up. Deflating slightly, Kagawa sighs to herself as she continues to pack up as well, respecting Y/N’s boundaries. It’ll take a while for them to warm up to each other. 

* * *

After spending a few weeks with the Inarizaki team, Y/N’s formed her own opinions about a few of the fellow first years that she’s run into a few too many times. 

Kagawa Ginko is sweet. 

Suna Rintarou is shy. 

Miya Osamu is a gentleman. 

And Miya Atsumu is a jerk. 

Y/N sighs for the hundredth time as she watches Atsumu ignore instructions once again to practise his setting during break time. Usually she wouldn’t have an issue with this, preferring to keep to herself and avoid confrontation. But Coach Kurosu had asked her _specifically_ to make sure Atsumu doesn’t overwork. Too bad he’s too much of a conceited jerk to listen to anyone. 

“Miya-san, it’s break time now.” She says, walking up to him on the court as he continues his setting drills. He rolls his eyes and ignores her, pretending that he didn’t hear her. 

“Miya-san.” She repeats, blank faced as always, steady and unwavering. “Coach Kurosu asked me to ensure that you don’t overwork. Please take a break like the rest of your teammates.” 

Atsumu stops in his drills temporarily, hitting the ball on the floor in front of her as he glares. She doesn’t even flinch. 

“Leave me alone Manager-chan… I know what I’m doin’.” He mutters, going to pick up the ball to resume his drills. Before he can even touch it, she picks it up herself and puts it back in the volleyball cart. 

“Please call me by my name, it’s L/N Y/N if you’ve forgotten.” She says simply, turning to drag the volleyball cart away from him. 

“Oi! Don’t tell me what to do.” Atsumu scowls, running over to grab the cart to stop her. “Whaddya even know anyways, huh? Yer just a manager.” 

Y/N shrugs at this. “Perhaps I am, but it seems like I know more than you.” 

“Huh?! Like what?” 

“Like how to follow instructions.” She says simply, tugging the cart to make him let go as she continues dragging it away. Atsumu scowls at this, huffing as he turns away. 

“Tch… So annoyin’.” 

Having observed the whole event, Suna turns to Ginjima and nudges him. 

“Hm? What is it, Suna?” 

“The manager… L/N right? She’s kind of frosty… pretty scary.” Suna mutters. 

“Hm, I guess? She seems cool though. I haven’t really talked to her, but it’s amazing that she can put up with Miya Atsumu so well.” Ginjima comments, watching as Atsumu complains to his uncaring brother. 

“Cool, frosty, same thing. She kind of reminds me of those mysterious ice princess girls from the animes, the ones that no one knows anything about and doesn’t show emotion.” Suna shrugs. “Do you think she secretly likes memes?” 

“Why’re you askin’ me…? You’ve been around her more, you that scared of her?” Ginjima deadpans. 

“Scared would be a little strong… but I can’t deny that she’s intimidating.” 

“Hm, that’s true.” Ginjima agrees. “She seems nice enough though, we should try get to know her.” 

“You first.” 

* * *

Sitting alone on the bench outside, Y/N lazily scrolls through her phone as she takes out her lunch. Kagawa had invited her to eat lunch with her group of friends, but Y/N politely declined, saying that she didn’t want to intrude. In actuality, she just doesn’t want to be around a bunch of unfamiliar people. 

Just as she’s about to start eating, she senses someone approaching her from the side, turning to look. 

“Hi! L/N-chan right? I’m Ginjima Hitoshi! D’ya wanna eat lunch together?” He smiles encouragingly at her. Y/N blinks in surprise, he’s the first fellow clubmate (other than Kagawa) to approach her. 

“Oh… Thank you, Ginjima-san.” She responds politely, not wanting to be rude. 

“Haha! Just call me Gin! That’s what my friends call me, no need for formalities!” 

“Right…” Y/N mutters, not knowing how to act around him. Ginjima doesn’t seem bothered by her hesitance though, instead, he cheerfully sits beside her and starts a pleasant conversation. 

He’ll probably never know how much it meant to her. 

* * *

Passing out the bottles, Y/N nods politely to each of the members as they accept, leaving the problem child for last. Quietly approaching him, Y/N holds out Atsumu’s drink bottle to him, not saying anything as he grumbles and snatches it away, only to walk away and get back onto the court. 

Y/N shrugs, not really caring about his rudeness as she goes to write some notes in her notebook, they have a practise match soon. 

“Soz’ about ‘Tsumu… he’s a jerk. Are you alright?” 

Glancing up at Osamu, Y/N smiles politely. “I’m fine, Miya-san.” 

“You can call me Osamu, it’ll probs be less confusin’.” 

“Oh… Alright then, if that’s okay with you, Osamu…san.” Y/N hesitantly responds, quickly turning back to her notebook to avoid his eyes. It’s strange calling people by their first name. 

“Oi, don’t be so rude to the manager, she’s just doin’ her job.” Osamu scowls at his brother who waves him off in disinterest. 

“Whatever, ‘Samu.” Atsumu rolls his eyes, bouncing the volleyball in his hands. 

“I’m serious y’know.” Osamu deadpans. “She didn’t even do anythin’ to you.” 

“Why do I hafta be nice, huh? Why do I hafta respect Manager-chan? She’s just the manager.” 

“…This is why everyone hates you.” Osamu sighs. “You have the personality of sewage water, so unlike you, I’m gonna lead a life of kindness.” 

“What the hell are you babblin’ about?” Atsumu rolls his eyes. 

Giving up, Osamu groans and wacks Atsumu on the back of the head. “Her name’s L/N Y/N, you might as well use it.” 

* * *

“Miya-san, you should take a break when it’s break time. I think the name is pretty self-explanatory afterall.” Y/N says simply, walking up to him as he tosses another ball in the air to serve. 

_BAM!_

Y/N doesn’t even flinch when he does a jump serve just a few meters away from her, instead, she continues to approach him and stands in front of him, stopping him from serving again. 

“Didja hear what I said, Miya-san? Or do you need me to repeat?” 

Atsumu groans and turns to scowl at her. “Oh sorry, I thought you were talkin’ to my brother.” He mutters sarcastically. 

“Why would I be talkin’ to Osamu-san when he’s all the way over there?” 

Blinking in surprise, Atsumu does a double take as he glances between Y/N and Osamu. _‘First name basis already??’_

Raising her eyebrow at this, Y/N silently takes the volleyball out of his hands and puts it back in the cart, snapping him out of his thoughts as he scowls. “Oi! I wasn’t done!” 

“That’s a shame.” Y/N shrugs, not caring as she gestures towards Osamu. “Why don’t you spend the rest of your break complaining about how you’re not done yet?” 

Grumbling angrily to himself, Atsumu stomps over to Osamu as he resists the urge to scream. Seeing his tantrum, Suna snickers slightly before turning away. 

Glaring at Osamu, who’s smirking at him, Atsumu squeezes his drink bottle in rage, wanting to throw it at the wall. 

“I hate her…!” 

Atsumu returns to practising his jump serves after the break, still mad at Y/N as he grumbles under his breath. Tossing the ball into the air, he hits a powerful serve that slams into the wall on the other end. Ruffling his hair in frustration, he picks up another ball and sends over another powerful jump serve, but he put in too much power again. 

The ball flies across the court, and anyone can tell that it’s a bad out. Y/N, who’s passing by, instantly notices the volleyball rocketing towards her. Atsumu panics slightly.

“Y/N-chan! Move-” 

Y/N smoothly gets into a receiving position and bumps the ball, slowing down the momentum as it bounces onto the floor. The members in the gym stare at Y/N in shock, not only did she just pull off a solid receive, her movements appear experienced and nonchalant. 

Atsumu gapes at her like a fish out of water, completely gobsmacked.

 _‘Oh my gosh I just received that... Wait, I should play it cool, this is a major power move.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she goes to pick up the ball she’d just received, handing it over to Atsumu, her face appearing indifferent.

“That was a really strong serve, Miya-san. Once yer able to control your power and improve on your aim, it’ll be amazing.” She says, smiling slightly before walking away to pick up more stray balls.

Atsumu stares blankly at her as she walks away, turning his attention onto the volleyball she’d just handed over to him. 

_‘That was so cool…!’_

* * *

“Miya-san, I know you wanna keep practisin’ but we needa pack up now.” Y/N says as she approaches Atsumu. “You can continue with your practisin’ tomorrow.” 

Atsumu scrunches up his face as he sighs, scowling at the floor. “…Fine. Whaddya want me to do?” 

Everyone in the gym does a double take as they glance at Atsumu, not really believing their ears. While they’d noticed that he’s been slightly nicer to her recently, they didn’t think he’d listen so quickly. 

Blinking in surprise, Y/N’s also taken aback by Atsumu’s slight change in attitude, she’s so used to having to deal with his whining, she’s unsure of how to respond. 

“Umm… uhh… You can help take down the nets…?” She asks hesitantly as he rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah, whatever.” He mutters, going over to help take down some of the nets. 

Glancing over to Ginjima, Y/N silently gestures to Atsumu, not believing that he’s listening to her. Ginjima just shrugs and smiles sheepishly, giving her a thumbs up as she has an internal meltdown. 

He’s still rude, but at least he’s not arguing as much. It’d be best to not say anything. 

* * *

“Miya-san, it’s time to pack up.” 

“Whatever, Manager-chan.” 

“Here’s your drink bottle, Miya-san.” 

“…” 

“It’s break time, Miya-san.” 

“Tch…” 

Atsumu and Y/N’s relationship doesn’t improve much as they maintain their distant back and forth interactions, which is really just Y/N relaying instructions from the coaches that Atsumu begrudgingly accepts. Still, it’s an improvement. 

Not that it could get any worse. 

Y/N sweat drops as she watches the twins fight in the middle of practise, throwing punches at each other and kicking each other as they argue. She doesn’t even want to know how this started. Glancing to the side, she’s surprised to see Suna filming with his phone. 

“Suna-san… what are you doin’…?” 

Flinching, Suna sheepishly lowers his phone as he sweat drops. “Um… nothing much…” 

“Oh, you don’t needa put your phone away, I was just askin’.” She smiles slightly before turning to look at the twins with dead eyes. 

“Argh… those twins…” Ojiro groans going over to stop them. “Oi-!” 

Y/N raises her eyebrow as she hands the bandages to the twins, glancing back and forth between them as they scowl at the air, not saying a word. It’s not the first time that they’ve fought, in fact, their fights are such a regular occurrence to the point that they've become famous around the school. Still, she doesn’t understand how they can fight so much, yet remain as close as ever. 

“Here, Osamu-san.” She says as he mutters a thanks, taking the bandages as she turns her attention onto Atsumu. “This is for you, Miya-san.” 

Atsumu glares at her, snatching the bandages out of her hands as he grumbles under his breath. “Whatever, Manager-chan. You can go away now.” 

Instantly, Osamu glares at his brother, ready to punch him again until Y/N rolls her eyes and gestures for him to stop. 

“Alright, Coach Kurosu wants to talk to you two after.” She shrugs, turning to walk away, leaving them alone. 

“…How has she not punched you yet?” 

“Shut it.” 

* * *

Practise continues as usual, Y/N observes the members of the team as she writes down some notes, wanting to get as much information as possible before Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers. 

She’s spent more time with the team now, and although there’s still a lot of unfamiliarity, she’s comfortable enough to speak with Ginjima and Suna casually on occasions. Akagi, the second year Libero, has also somehow managed to become more acquainted with her, having insisted that they take the bus together once he found out they lived close by. 

“Ack-!” 

Atsumu’s yelp snaps her out of her thoughts as she glances at him in worry, he’s clutching his fingers as he glares at the floor. 

“I’m fine! Let’s keep goin’!” He declares, despite obviously not being fine. 

“Atsumu, you needa get that checked.” Ojiro cuts in. 

“Maybe idiots don’t feel injures.” 

“What didja say ‘Samu??” Atsumu glares at Osamu as he grabs his shirt with his uninjured hand. 

“I said yer an injured idiot. We can all see that.” Osamu spits as he glares back, grabbing Atsumu’s arm as he tries to get him to let go. 

“You take that back-!” The twins start wrestling as Coach Kurosu hurries over to stop them. 

“Oi! Stop it you two!” With the combined effort of Coach Kurosu and Ojiro, they manage to pull the twins apart as they glare at each other in hatred. “Do you two ever stop fightin’??” 

“He started it, sir.” Atsumu spits, pointing to Osamu with his uninjured hand. “I’m fine, so let’s continue with practise.” 

“No.” Coach Kurosu deadpans. “You obviously jammed a few fingers so you needa rest yer hand until it’s recovered or you’ll suffer more injures in the long run.” 

“That’s not fair! I already rest durin’ break time! I can rest when practise is over!” Atsumu whines, trying to get out of Ojiro’s grip. “It doesn’t even hurt anyways! Yer all overreacting!” 

Coach Kurosu sighs as he runs a hand down his face, trusting Osamu enough to let go of him. “I don’t want to hear your complaints, Atsumu. Go to the locker room and get yourself patched up, you can stay to watch the rest of practise or go home.” 

“But-!” 

“Do not argue with your coach, and don’t be so childish as to ignore an injury. Failing to take care of your health as an athlete is shameful.” Kita cuts in, surprising everyone. 

“Damn, he’s frosty.” Suna mutters as everyone shivers slightly, silently agreeing. 

“Argh! Whatever!” Atsumu groans, stomping over to the locker room as everyone sweat drops, watching him as he slams the door. 

“Anyway-” Coach Kurosu begins, only for him to get cut off by Atsumu’s loud screech from inside the locker room. Facepalming, he sighs. “Kids these days…” 

Glancing over to the locker room, Y/N hesitates a bit before turning to Kagawa and smiling sheepishly. “I’m gonna go check on him and help him with his finger… Are you gonna be okay with takin’ notes by yourself?” 

“Of course, you can leave it to me!” Kagawa smiles. “I’m not as good as you when takin’ notes, but I’ll do my best, L/N-chan~!” 

“Thank you.” Y/N smiles, bowing slightly to Coach Kurosu before turning to go to the locker room. Knocking on the door, she gets no response other than Atsumu’s resentful muttering, sighing as she quietly opens the door. “Miya-san…?” 

“Whaddya want.” He spits, glaring at her over his shoulder. “You here to _‘help’_ me? I don’t need yer help. As if you can anyway, yer just a manager.” 

He quickly turns away and grabs the finger tape, scowling as he tries to put it on himself. But his dominant hand is the one that got injured. 

“Yes, I’m _‘just’_ the manager, the one that’s meant to take care of the members, so I’ll be helpin’ you.” She says simply, walking over to sit beside him. He scowls, turning away and moving down the bench to get away from her. 

“Go away, Manager-chan. Can’t ya take the hint that I don’t want you here?” 

“Oh, it’s not much of a hint, Miya-san. I’m well aware that you don’t want me here, I’ve just decided to ignore it.” She says simply, scooting down the bench to sit beside him once again, causing him to groan. 

“Leave me alone, wouldja?! Argh, I hate you! Yer so annoyin’!” 

Y/N raises her eyebrow at this. “That’s nice, but I’m still the manager, so you’re under my care now, Miya-san.” 

Atsumu huffs as he rolls his eyes. “Manager shmanager, why didn’t coach send the other manager in?” 

“Whaddya mean?” 

“Coach told ya to go keep an eye on me, right? Since I obviously can’t take care of myself.” He spits, glaring at the floor as Y/N sighs. 

“Coach Kurosu didn’t tell me to do anythin’, I came here to help you with your fingers.” 

“H-huh?” Atsumu stutters, looking up at her as she smiles slightly. 

“You love volleyball a lot, don’tcha? So if we take care of your fingers properly, you can get back on the court as quickly as possible.” She says simply, shrugging nonchalantly as she points to the finger tape. “So, are’ya gonna give me that so I can help you or not?” 

“…” Atsumu stares at her for a while, trying to process her words as she waits patiently. After a while, he silently hands her the tape. 

“Thank you.” She smiles, taking it as she takes his hand and starts taping his fingers. “Didja pull on any of yer fingers?” 

“Of course not…” He mutters softly. “I’m not that much of an idiot…” 

“That’s a relief.” She says simply, falling into silence as she tapes his hand. After a few moments, he clears his throat. 

“You don’t needa help me, y’know… I, um… I know I’ve been kinda a jerk…” He mutters, grimacing as he avoids eye contact, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. 

Y/N smiles slightly. “It’s alright, I’m used to not bein’ treated nicely.” 

Guilt wrenches his gut as he frowns, feeling terrible. He places his left hand over hers, stopping her from taping temporarily. 

“That ain’t right… You haven’t done anythin’ wrong…” He mutters sincerely. 

“Perhaps it’s not right, but that’s just the way it is.” Y/N says simply, shrugging nonchalantly. Her indifference makes him feel even worse as his stomach churns with guilt. He grimaces again, sighing as he looks her in the eyes. 

“Hey… y’know you can walk away from assholes, right?” He asks softly, looking at her sadly. 

_‘You can walk away from me…’_

Y/N smiles softly at him, removing his hand from hers so she can continue taping. “I know.” 

They fall into another silence as Y/N finishes taping his hand, she doesn’t say anything as she stands up to get an ice pack for him, letting him have a moment to himself as he remains deep in thought. Once she returns, she hands the ice pack over to him as he glances at it, muttering a thanks and taking it. 

“Are’ya gonna go watch the rest of practise, Miya-san?” Y/N asks, sitting down beside him as he puts the ice pack over his hand. 

“…Yeah.” He breathes out, sighing to himself. 

“Alright.” She responds simply, going to put the tape back as Atsumu sits there silently. After a moment, he clears his throat. 

“You can call me Atsumu, y’know. Since we’re teammates and all.” He says quietly, avoiding her eyes as she glances at him. She smirks slightly at this. 

“…I think Miya-san will suffice.” 

“Oi!” 

* * *

_「 Present Day 」_  
_August 2012_

“Atsumu? How are you feelin’?” Y/N asks quietly as she enters his room, sighing slightly at the mess. Atsumu huffs as he turns his head to look at her, pouting weakly. 

“Feelin’ like the turd ‘Samu calls me… Like sh*t.” 

“I’ll forgive you for your vulgar language ‘coz yer sick.” She rolls her eyes, going to sit beside his bed. “…You do look terrible though.” 

“Gee thanks N/N.” He groans, rolling his eyes as he wheezes. “Is that miso soup?” 

“Yep~ I bought some stuff along the way, Osamu’s the one that cooked it though.” She smiles, presenting the tray to him. 

“So ‘Samu ran away and forced ya to take care of me, huh?” Atsumu asks weakly as he slowly starts to sit up. “Doesn’t he know that you’ve got a bunch of other things to do?” 

Y/N shrugs. “I’m sure he knows, but he really needed a break from you I guess.” 

“Tch…” Atsumu rolls his eyes as he takes the bowl of miso soup from her hands. “Can’t believe he’s causin’ you trouble. I mean, guess it’s also my fault since I’m the one that’s sick, so sorry ‘bout that I guess.” 

“Wow, maybe the sickness is turnin’ you into a nice person, you should get sick more often.” Y/N snickers. 

“Hell no. If bein’ nice makes me feel like sh*t, then I’d rather be the sh*t than feel the sh*t.” He mutters as she rolls her eyes. 

“Your vocabulary is as pleasant as always.” She sighs as she watches him start eating the miso soup. “You okay with eatin’ by yourself? You don’t need me to help you?” 

“Ew, of course not.” Atsumu groans. “My hand’s all better y’know.” 

“Must be thanks to my amazin’ taping~” She jokes, smirking as he rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” 

They fall into a comfortable silence as Atsumu continues to eat, feeling slightly better in her presence. Y/N smiles as she watches him, glad that he’s starting to feel a little better. 

“You're payin’ for that by the way.” 

“Huh?” 

“What? Didja think I bought all that stuff for you outta the goodness of my heart?” Y/N asks, smirking at his disgruntled expression. “I kept the receipt so you can pay me back later~” 

“Tch… whatever.” He mutters, sighing as he returns to his miso soup. “So how’d ‘Samu convince you? What’d he offer?” 

Y/N gasps in mock surprise. “Whaddya mean?? D’ya think I’m the kind of person to be bribed?? Are you implyin’ that I didn’t come here outta the goodness of my heart? Because I c- ca- Argh, I can’t say it.” 

“Care about me?” Atsumu deadpans. 

“Oh, that’s the one~” She snickers at his unimpressed expression. “All these accusations… I’m hurt.” 

“Sure.” He rolls his eyes. “But seriously, what’d he offer ya?” 

Y/N sighs as she facepalms. “He _technically_ didn’t offer me anythin’, just made a promise I guess.” 

“Oh?” Atsumu perks up. “What is it?” 

Sighing again, Y/N turns to Atsumu with unimpressed eyes. “Didja know that Rintarou has an Atsumu hate account?” 

“Oh, another one?” 

“Yes, an- Wait. Whaddya mean ‘another one’?” 

“Oh, I found out ‘bout his first one last year, well Gin did at least, forced him to delete it before you found out. Didn’t realise he’d make another one, but that’s on brand for him I guess.” Atsumu shrugs. 

“Wait, you guys didn’t tell me??” 

“‘Course not. We knew you’d be mad.” Atsumu shrugs. “…It was kinda funny though.” 

Y/N stares at him, unimpressed, before sighing in exasperation. “You guys… what am I gonna do with you guys…” 

Atsumu chuckles at this. “Relax, N/N~ you hafta admit it’s pretty funny~ It’s also pretty obvious that it’s Suna when you read all the posts.” 

“Oh? I guess I’ll be on the look out for hate accounts then.” Y/N sighs tiredly before letting out a laugh. “Alright, I guess it _is_ pretty funny.” 

“N/N? Laughin’? Maybe I’ll miraculously recover overnight~” Atsumu teases, making her roll her eyes at him. 

“Sure, go ahead.” She drones as he snickers, finishing his miso soup and giving the bowl back to her. 

“Thanks, N/N~ Oh actually, now that we’re onto the topics of accounts. You haven’t posted any pictures of me with my two awards?? Where are my congratulations posts??” Atsumu whines as Y/N rolls her eyes again. 

“Seriously? You’re worried about that?” 

“Yes! I’m the only person that got two awards! What’s the point of gettin’ ‘em if I can’t brag to everyone??” 

“…You really do have the personality of sewage water.” Y/N mutters under her breath, quickly taking out her phone. “Fine, I’ll post it now.” 

“Yay~ Y’know, you should use the pic where-” 

_Click._

“…Didja just take a pic of me?” 

“Yeeeep~” Y/N lazily sings, casually showing him the photo. “Nice photo, ain’t it? Gonna post it now.” 

“NO!!!” Atsumu screeches in distress as he tries to grab her phone, until he starts coughing. “Argh… don’t post it!” 

Handing him a cup of honey lemon tea, Y/N snickers under her breath. “Relax~ I’m just jokin’~ I got the pic of you holdin’ both awards on the podium. You look good in it so no worries.” 

Atsumu grumbles under his breath as he drinks the tea, sighing to himself. “You’re mean.” 

“And you’re rude.” 

“…Guess ya got me there.” Atsumu sighs, settling back into his bed. “Thanks for always puttin’ up with me, Y/N.” 

“Hm?” Y/N perks up at this, smiling softly at him as she chuckles. 

“Who else is gonna put up with ya?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...What is this feeling I feel in my chest...?
> 
> So how're you guys feeling after the chapter? :) It's a bit different from the previous ones, isn't it? =w= 
> 
> I've been planning for this chapter for the longest time, I actually drafted some of the scenes before I even wrote the prologue of this fic, so that's how long I've been planning this for XD It's a chapter that means quite a lot to me, so I hope it touched you in some way or another~
> 
> Atsumu is a character that's very dear to my heart, even though I _did_ mildly dislike him at first... Over time, I somehow grew fond of the jerk, and instead of rolling my eyes at him, I started to look at him with endearment. I love a lot of characters, but Atsumu is probably the first character that I loved so much _purely_ in a platonic way, I don't know why I've never been able to see Atsumu as anything other than an annoying brother or close friend, but that's just what happened I guess~
> 
> Anyway~ if you follow me on instagram, you'll probably know about this, but I made an Inarizaki meme XD So here it is~  
> 
> 
> What do you guys think? :) How accurate is it? :)
> 
> Now... if you remove the third years... You'll realise... when Coach Oomi said that Inarizaki's future is doomed, he was right =w= XD Oh well :D we love these chaotic second years though~ 
> 
> Anyway~ Thankyou so much for reading the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and it touched you and made you feel feelings~ =w= I look forward to writing the future chapters... 👀👀
> 
> ~~~  
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	30. Through the Time

_**Official_Inarizaki_VBC** “Congratulations to our Setter Miya Atsumu for winning ‘Best Setter’ and ‘Best Server’ at Interhigh this year! #miyaatsumu #miyatwins #miyabrothers”_  
_Tagged: @miya_tsumtsum_

 _ **@miya_osamuu95** who?_  
_**@sunasunasuna** who?_  
_**@Official_Inarizaki_VBC** who?_  
_**@sunasunasuna** @Official_Inarizaki_VBC wrong account Y/N_  
_**@Official_Inarizaki_VBC** @sunasunasuna there are no mistakes._  
_**@miracleboiii** who?_  
_**@miya_tsumtsum** who?_  
_**@gin_hitoshi** Osamu?? Did you seriously go on Atsumu’s account??_  
_**@miya_tsumtsum** @gin_hitoshi who?_  
_**@sunasunasuna** Fukurodani be jealous of this comment section_

Atsumu groans as he continues scrolling through the comment section, apart from his _lovely_ friends spamming the comments, an army of Suna stans have also infiltrated the post. They’re all saying the same thing. 

_‘who?’_

Frustrated, he lets out a screech as he turns off his phone, huffing indignantly as he does his best to resist the urge to spam the group chat with complaints. Instead, he turns his phone back on and goes on Twitter. 

**Dual WINNER** 🏆💪 | _@miya_tsumtsum_  
_“Suna stans scare me”_

_**@sunastan23** hello TSUMTSUM_

Letting out another screech, Atsumu throws his phone across the room in fear. He dives back into bed and attempts to suffocate himself with a pillow. 

Walking into the room, Osamu is greeted by the view of his twin brother trying to die without actually dying. Instead of questioning him, Osamu turns around and walks right back out. Just another ordinary day in the Miya household. 

* * *

“Wow, that guy’s a scrub.” 

“I know right, can’t believe no one said anything.” 

“Actually, the whole team’s filled with scrubs.” 

“We came here to watch the matches, not to trash talk the other teams.” Y/N deadpans. 

Having won the previous Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers, Inarizaki is exempt from the Qualifying Rounds for Hyogo Qualifiers. Right now, over forty teams are split into 8 separate groups to compete, the winners of each group qualifies to play in the final round for Qualifiers for Spring High. 

Or as Atsumu would put it, the losers of the last Hyogo Qualifiers are fighting each other for a chance to verse Inarizaki in the Final Round and lose again. 

She doesn’t know _how_ they convinced her, but the twins managed to drag her out to watch the Qualifying Rounds with them. At least Ojiro is here to suffer with her. 

“Can you twins shut up? You’re being so rude!” 

“Aran-kun, we’re not bein’ rude~ We’re just bein’ truthful!” Atsumu explains cheerfully as Osamu nods in agreement. 

“Yeah Aran-kun, nothin’ wrong with observing other teams and learning from them.” Osamu pipes up as Y/N and Ojiro sweat drop. 

“What’s wrong with you two?! Osamu?! I thought you were gonna live a life of kindness??” Ojiro questions loudly in exasperation, attracting the attention of the other people in the audience. Hiding her face, Y/N pretends she doesn’t know them. 

It’s bad enough that she’s practically with three high school volleyball celebrities, they’re all attention magnets, _and_ they’re being loud and rude? Y/N silently prays that they’ll shut up soon. 

“Can you three please shut up?” Y/N whispers as they all ignore her. 

“The setter might not be the best, but still that was a _damn_ good toss. Too bad the scrub didn’t hit it properly.” Atsumu shrugs in disinterest as he continues observing the match. 

“Then compliment the setter rather than trash talkin’ the other players!” Ojiro groans as he facepalms, coming with the twins was a bad idea. 

“Hmm… Actually, ‘Samu.” 

“What is it, ‘Tsumu?” 

“I like their uniform pattern, ours is kinda plain…” 

“Now that you mention it, yeah it is. Should we ask the school to change our uniform?” 

_‘They’re not even paying attention to the game anymore… They’re just discussing the team’s uniform…’_ Y/N and Ojiro mentally deadpan, they’re very close to reaching the end of their patience. 

“I won’t tell anyone if you beat ‘em up.” Y/N whispers to Ojiro as he sighs. 

“I just want to stop sufferin’…” He mutters as he solemnly looks off into the distance. Y/N sighs at his dramatics as she gazes into the distance as well. The whole team’s filled with drama queens. 

Taking out her phone, Y/N takes a picture of the twins bickering over which patterns and colour schemes would look best on them, sighing as she sends it to a friend. 

_‘Watchin’ the Qualifying Rounds but these idiots are arguing about the uniforms… Is Tokyo much better?’_

She instantly gets a response. 

_‘Don’t taint my phone with pictures of Miya, I can feel his germs through the screen. Although, Tokyo isn’t much better. I have to deal with Komori.’_

* * *

“Thank you for the match!” The Inarizaki team bows to their opponents as they start packing up from their practise match. 

Now that school’s started again, the team’s been consistently training for Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Spring High while also trying to balance their studies. Usually, third years would consider quitting whatever clubs they were in at this point, but the volleyball team’s third years are so mature and responsible they’re balancing their priorities very well. 

In complete contrast, _some_ of the second years are struggling to keep up with their studies, not that they necessarily care. Y/N sighs to herself as she helps the teams pack up, they’ll have to hold group study sessions soon. 

“Do you need help with that?” 

Glancing behind her, Y/N smiles politely at the player of the opposing team. “Oh, it’s fine, thank you for offering though.” 

“Are you sure? I can help.” He smiles gesturing to the piles of towels and bibs she’s holding. “I don’t mind. I’m sure you can handle it, but it doesn’t hurt to help.” 

“Oh… Um, I guess that’s true… Thanks.” She mumbles as he takes the towels. 

“It’s all good~ Man, your team is really great! I can really tell how much you guys must practise!” He cheerfully exclaims. “It kind of inspires me to work even harder, suddenly I feel like I’m too much of a slacker… Oh well.” 

“Yeah… the team really makes you wanna do your best, don’t they?” 

“Yep~ Especially your setter guy! I mean, when he’s not insulting you to your face or glaring at you, when he’s playing you can really tell he’s really passionate.” He laughs. “His dedication is amazing! And… uhh, hi?” 

Noticing that he’s distracted, Y/N glances behind them and sweat drops. Suna’s casually standing behind them with his phone out, openly staring at them. 

“Rintarou, what’re you doin’.” She deadpans. 

Straightening up, Suna’s back lets out multiple loud cracks as the two of them cringe. He just smiles innocently. 

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s just the sound that comes out every time I accidentally get into a fist fight with someone.” 

“…” Y/N and the guy sweat drop as they stare at him. 

“Anyway, don’t mind me, pretend I’m not here.” Suna smiles, gesturing for them to turn around. Sighing, Y/N silently tells him to leave them alone and stop bothering them. Rolling his eyes, he takes exactly three steps back as he continues openly staring. 

“I’m so sorry ‘bout him.” Y/N sighs as she facepalms as the guy laughs. 

“Nah it’s fine! To be honest, I think he’s pretty funny.” 

“…Right.” 

Y/N crosses her arms as she approaches Suna with a dead face, he mimics her stance perfectly. 

“Threatening people I see.” 

“Getting distracted I see.” 

“What?” Y/N raises her eyebrow at this as Suna rolls his eyes. 

“No distractions, you need to stay focused.” Suna tuts as he shakes his head. “You and Sakusa are finally making progress and I want to keep it that way.” 

“…” 

Y/N stares at Suna, completely unimpressed. She quickly turns away. 

“Kita-senpai-!” 

“Wait I was joking, don’t tell on me!” 

* * *

Atsumu impatiently rocks back and forth in his seat, feeling restless from sitting for so long. Just as he opens his mouth to talk, Y/N shoots him a glare, successfully shutting him up once again. 

With the Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Spring High around the corner, Kita is adamant on making sure that all the members of volleyball club are keeping up with their studies. So the second years are doing their best to hold a group study session, which is proving to not be very successful. 

Lifting his head, Suna slams it back into his textbook for the hundredth time, lifting it up again just to slam it down. Kagawa sweat drops at this, sighing under her breath as she goes to tell him off. Frantically, Y/N gestures for her to not say anything, but she doesn’t notice. 

“Suna-kun… yer shaking the table.” 

“Oh? So we’re allowed to talk now?” Suna smirks as Atsumu perks up. 

“Finally! Thanks Ginko-chan! I knew I could count on you!” Atsumu cheers. “Can we go yet?? We’ve been here for hours!” 

“We’ve been here for 10 minutes.” Ginjima deadpans. 

“That’s too long!” Atsumu whines dramatically as he slumps in his seat. “Seriously, do we hafta do this? I don’t even needa study too hard ‘coz my future doesn’t need it!” 

“That’s assumin’ the pro teams want you.” Osamu drones. 

“Oi! You can’t assume the pro teams want you either!” Atsumu snaps back as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“Whatever.” 

“It pains me to say this, but I’m with Atsumu on this one.” Suna sighs as Y/N gasps dramatically. “Shut up, can’t we just go home already? I think I’d even rather extra volleyball practise than this…” 

“Damn… this must be really painful for you then. If Suna-kun would rather exercise then that’s really saying a lot.” Kagawa mutters as everyone agrees. 

Y/N sighs as she eyes the two of them. “I mean… technically I can’t stop you from leaving…” 

Atsumu and Suna perk up as they start packing their things, she gestures for them to stop. 

“It’s true, I can’t stop you two from leaving. But… you can’t stop me from callin’ Kita-senpai to join us and study.” She smirks, making them instantly freeze in their actions. “So I’d choose my actions wisely if I were you.” 

They quietly sit back in their seats as they glare at her, she just smiles innocently in response. 

“I feel like yer keepin’ us here against our will.” Atsumu scowls, she just shrugs in disinterest. 

“Not necessarily~ I mean, I gave you the option to leave if you wanted to, didn’t I?” She smiles innocently as they continue glaring at her. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really manipulative?” 

“Only the people that get to know me~” 

* * *

“Go straight home, no extra practise today, got it? Have a good meal, shower or do whatever you usually do, and go straight to bed, alrighty? Tomorrow’s the big day so we needa be in tip-top shape! And this is a given, but don’t be late! Dismissed!” 

Y/N has a major sense of déjà vu as walks to her bus stop with Akagi, feeling weirdly nostalgic about the previous time she went home early the day before Qualifiers. 

“You excited for Qualifiers tomorrow, Y/N-chan?” Akagi cheerfully asks. 

“Yeah, I am.” She smiles lightly. “The past month or so has really flown by, it’s practically a blur to me.” 

“Yeah, I get that~ All that training and studying’s really making me wanna have a breather, but playin’ a few matches for Qualifiers is nice too I guess~” 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this. “It won’t be so nice when you’re actually playin’, Finals is a five set match as well, good luck.” 

“Oh? You seem confident that we’re gonna make it to Finals~ Already assumin’ we’re gonna win and make it to Spring High?” Akagi asks as he laughs. 

“What? D’ya think you’re not gonna make it?” 

“Don’t turn this on me!” Akagi groans as she laughs at him. “Oh wait, a thought occurs, how’d that art convention application thing go for you?” 

“Huh? Oh. I forgot about that to be honest.” Y/N mumbles sheepishly. 

“What?? How’d you forget?” 

“It’s been a while since I applied, they haven’t gotten back to me so it slipped my mind.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “It probably means I either didn’t make it, or I didn’t make it in the first round. I’ll probs have to wait for the second and third round to see if I get in.” 

“Ohh I see…” Akagi nods along. “It’s in Tokyo right?” 

“Yeah, in December.” 

“Damn~ that’s almost two months away… I’ll be rooting for you!” 

“Akagi-senpai, I needa get in first.” She chuckles as he rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah but still, I’m proud of you already! I know you’ll get in!” He laughs cheerfully as she smiles. “So… have you told yer parents about your application yet?” 

“…About that…” 

“Oh boy.” 

After checking over her sports bags for the hundredth time, Y/N mentally considers rechecking them again, just in case she’s forgotten something. Even after all her experience as a manager, she can never be too safe. 

It’s still early in the evening for her as she plops into her chair beside her desk, spinning around mindlessly as she tries to think of something to do. She _could_ draw something, but the excitement of the upcoming matches makes it difficult for her to concentrate. Sighing to herself, she’s about to go through her social media apps until she gets a notification. 

_‘Are you free to talk right now?’_

Y/N glances at her door, listening to make sure the rest of her family’s occupied. Once she’s certain that they’re all busy, she responds. 

_‘Yeah, I got time.’_

Her phone starts ringing as she picks up. 

“Calling so late, Sakusa? That’s unusual for you.” 

_“Think whatever you want. Qualifiers for Hyogo are tomorrow, right?”_ He asks, straight to the point as always. 

“Yeah they are, you gonna wish good luck or something?” 

_“Your team doesn’t require luck to win.”_

Y/N gasps dramatically at his words, she can almost imagine him rolling his eyes. “Sakusa… That’s high praise comin’ from you…” 

_“Suddenly, I want to retract my words.”_ He deadpans. 

“It’s too late, I will remember this moment forever.” She laughs under her breath. “Thanks though, your Qualifiers are happenin’ kinda soon, right?” 

_“Our Final Round for Qualifiers are a few weeks away, mid-November, so I wouldn’t consider them to be in the near future.”_

“Sounds pretty close to me.” Y/N shrugs. “How’s trainin’ with yer team?” 

_“It’s the same as usual, although probably not as exciting as whatever your team gets up to.”_ He sighs. _“Why are you asking? Trying to get inside information?”_

“Wow, the accusations.” Y/N snickers under her breath. “D’ya really think I’m that kind of person?” 

_“Anyone that’s friends with Miya is immediately suspicious.”_

“Okay, that’s fair.” 

Y/N gets up from her seat and plops onto her bed, sitting cross-legged as she hugs her fox plushie Ina-kyun. “So how’s Komori-kun?” 

_“Am I so boring that you’d ask about my annoying cousin?”_

“I still can’t believe you’re cousins… but no, aren’t you two roommates? Is he not in the room with you right now?” Y/N asks curiously, in her mind, she can hear Suna whispering _“oh my gosh they’re roommatesss…!”_ But she decides to ignore it. 

Sakusa sighs. _“Komori said he needed to go run a few errands before I called you and hasn’t returned since then. He will most likely come back soon, unfortunately.”_

“You don’t sound excited at the prospect~” 

_“Perhaps I haven’t properly displayed my utter joy.”_ He mutters sarcastically as she laughs. 

“Come on Sakusa! Komori-kun can’t be that bad~ He-” 

_“I’m back~! Oh? You’re on the phone? Talking to L/N-chan again?”_

_“Go away.”_

_“This is my room too!”_

“Put me on speaker, Sakusa! I wanna talk to Komori-kun too!” Y/N cheers as Sakusa groans. 

_“Do I have to?”_

_“Don’t be like that Kiyoomi~ I want to talk to L/N-chan too! Put it on speaker!”_

_“Don’t touch me-!”_

“And from then on… Komori-kun was never seen again…” Y/N narrates as the phone turns on speaker. 

_“Very funny L/N-chan, Sakusa would never kill me!”_

“Are’ya sure?” 

_“Of course! Right, Sakusa?”_ Komori asks. 

There’s an awkwardly long pause as they wait for Sakusa to say something. Komori chuckles nervously and takes a few steps away from him. _“…Right, Sakusa…?”_

_“Of course not, my hands would get dirty.”_ Sakusa deadpans as Komori sighs in relief. 

Y/N thinks for a moment. “But technically… your hands wouldn’t get dirty if you hired a hitman…” 

_“L/N-chan don’t give him ideas.”_ Komori says uneasily. 

_“No, I like where this is going. Keep talking, L/N.”_

_“Oh come on! You’d never kill me! I’m your teammate!”_ Komori exclaims in exasperation as Y/N laughs at him. _“Not just your teammate, I’m your cousin! We’re family, remember??”_

“Maybe he was so busy plotting your murder he forgot you were bound by blood.” Y/N suggest cheerfully, smirking to herself. “Isn’t that right, Sakusa?” 

_“Well, I have thought about killing him a few times.”_ Sakusa admits as Komori gasps dramatically, taking a few more steps back as he tries to get away from Sakusa. _“Relax, I’m not actually going to kill you.”_

“Yeah Komori-kun, why would he kill you? You’re too useful.” Y/N says cheerfully before she starts to chuckle ominously. “…For now.” 

_“…I need to go to the toilet.”_ Komori mutters as he quickly walks away from Sakusa. _“Stop giving him ideas, L/N-chan! You better be talking about something else when I get back!”_

“Hey Sakusa, d’ya know what usually happens in the bathroom in horror movies?” 

_“STOP IT!”_ Komori screeches as he slams the door. 

Y/N laughs at Komori’s expense. “Don’tcha think he ever gets tired of us ganging up on him? Maybe we should lay off a bit.” 

Sakusa pauses to think for a moment. _“…How about we pretend we never discussed killing him?”_

“Never discussed what?” 

Smirking to himself, Sakusa shrugs. _“No idea.”_

Y/N smiles subconsciously as Komori slams the door open, interrupting them. _“I have returned.”_

“Welcome back, Komori-kun~ Sakusa and I were just talkin’ ‘bout Qualifiers~ You excited for yours?” 

Komori pauses for a moment. _“Yes… I am excited…”_ He says slowly, cautiously approaching Sakusa. _“Why do you ask…?”_

“Hm? No reason~ Just think it’d be a shame if you didn’t get to go, since you’re so excited and all.” Y/N shrugs nonchalantly. 

_“A true shame.”_ Sakusa nods along as Komori squints at him. 

_“…Are you guys threatening me…?”_

“Whaddya talking about? We’re just sayin’ it’d be a shame. Would it not?” Y/N asks. 

_“It would…”_ Komori mutters hesitantly. _“But I think my unease is justified… since you guys were talking about killing me earlier…”_

“Since we were what?” Y/N asks, sounding confused. “Whaddya talking about, Komori-kun?” 

_“Don’t play dumb with me! I won’t be tricked this time!”_

_“Did you just call L/N dumb? You’re so rude, Komori.”_ Sakusa sighs as Komori groans. 

_“I didn’t and you know it! You two are ganging up on me again, I know it!”_

“Wow Komori-kun, you’re so smart, you know so many things~” Y/N teases as he lets out a frustrated screech. 

_“Seriously? Can’t you be on my side for once L/N-chan?? Sakusa’s smart already, he doesn’t need back up!”_

“Wow, so you think I’m just back up, huh? Think I’m just a side person? A secondary? An extra?” Y/N fakes hurt as she sighs sadly. 

_“Okay, now you’re just twisting my words.”_ Komori deadpans as Sakusa smirks. 

“Wow, now you’re accusing me of such things. When will the bullying end?” 

_“YES. WHEN WILL THE BULLYING END??”_ Komori screeches, finally losing his cool as Y/N laughs at him. 

“I’m just jokin’ Komori-kun~” She chuckles. “Fine fine, I’ll drop it now.” 

_“Thank you!”_ He groans. _“Seriously though, can’t you partner up with me sometime? I feel like you have magic powers to win every argument, even if you’re wrong…”_

“Okay, first of all, I’m never wrong.” She deadpans. 

_“Yeah yeah, what I mean is, we should partner up to bully Sakusa sometime! This guy never gets on the receiving end, what do you say?”_

Sakusa scowls at him. _“Absolutely not. Find your own partner.”_

“Oh my, seems like I’m popular.” Y/N snickers. “Maybe I should update my rates and fees… how much money you offerin’, Komori-kun?” 

Komori sighs as he laughs, making her raise her eyebrow in confusion. _“Wow, suddenly it all makes sense.”_

“What does?” 

_“How you’re able to deal with managing the Inarizaki team so well. I bet they’d never win an argument with you, so they probably listen to you really well.”_ Komori explains as she sighs tiredly. 

“Well, they certainly hear me. I’m not so sure about listening…” She trails off, suddenly having war flashbacks. 

_“I wouldn’t say she’d win against everyone.”_ Sakusa suddenly says. _“Isn’t the captain really persuasive as well?”_

“To argue with Kita-senpai is to ask for death.” Y/N deadpans. “What kind of person would question a man who’s never done anything wrong in his life?” 

Komori sighs tiredly. _“Do you guys have to rebut everything I say?”_

“Where’s the fun in agreeing?” Y/N responds as she smirks, she can practically imagine Komori facepalming. 

_“I have decided that refusing to answer you is the safest possible option.”_ Komori deadpans. _“Anyway, it’s getting late so you should go to bed, you’ve got Qualifiers tomorrow so you don’t want to be sleep deprived.”_

“It’s not about what I want, it’s about maintaining my lifestyle~” Y/N chimes as he groans. 

_“We have to go to bed too! So good night!”_

_“Tired already? How weak.”_ Sakusa drones. 

_“Shut up, Kiyoomi!”_

Y/N laughs at their antics. “Well, you two can go to bed now if ya want. I don’t really have any incentive to sleep yet… Not really tired…” 

Sakusa sighs at this, bringing the phone closer to him so she can hear him clearly. _“If you don’t sleep now, think about who you’re disappointing.”_

Y/N frantically gets up to get ready for bed. “I would never wanna disappoint Kita-senpai.” 

_“Exactly, sleep well, L/N. Do not worry about Qualifiers, your team is already highly skilled.”_ Sakusa says as she smiles. 

“Thanks Sakusa, you too. Talk to you later?” 

_“Yeah.”_

_“…I feel like you guys are forgetting that I’m here too.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned! OuO Hope you enjoyed this chapter~ =w= it was fun to write~ OuO 
> 
> I've been really busy lately with my art and online store but I'm always happy to find time to write this fic =w= I've been getting so many nice messages and comments and they really make me so happy :')) You guys have no idea how much your words mean to me :'))
> 
> Anyway~ the next few chapters will be a bit more fast paced because Qualifiers for Spring High isn't that important for the storyline =w= At least... the matches aren't... _*chuckles ominously*_
> 
> Thanks for reading once again! See you in the next chapter~ OuO
> 
> ~~~  
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	31. Rerun

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Spring High 」_  
_Day 1 – First Round_

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

The chants of the cheer squad are followed by the squeals of the fans as Ojiro scores the final point, blowing away the crowd with the power of his spike. It’s no surprise that Inarizaki’s dominated their first match. 

“Ojiro Aran! May we please speak with you?” 

“Miya Atsumu! Is it alright if we get a picture and an interview??” 

“Inarizaki’s first match today was amazing, you must be very confident in your team.” 

“Our first match went very well and we’re all very calm, so I’m very confident in my team. The first match can be rather scary and nerve-racking for any team, regardless of status or rank, but I’m sure we’ll be fine in the tournament.” Kita answers, smiling politely as he speaks into the microphone. 

Y/N sighs to herself as a few of the members break off from the group for interviews, tournaments are always tiring. Taking out her phone, she types out the details of the match in a message and sends it. After a while the rest of the team gathers in preparation to leave. 

“Man~ matches are so fun to play! I just hate playin’ against people that suck at the game.” Atsumu chimes, stretching his arms as everyone rolls their eyes. 

“Personality of sewage water.” Osamu mutters. 

“You got guts insultin’ a top 16 team in Hyogo.” Ginjima mutters, sighing as he shakes his head. “I personally thought they were pretty good.” 

“Not all of us can be nice like you, Gin.” Atsumu rolls his eyes, waving his hand dismissively. “Top 16, top 5, top 2, none of it matters if you’re not the best.” 

“Every time I bump into you, I suddenly remember why I want to punch you so badly.” 

The Inarizaki second years turn to the side, noticing the Nakiusagi second years. Matsumoto’s scowling at Atsumu, who smirks in response. 

“Oh? That’s bold words comin’ from someone who loses so often they’re forgettable.” Atsumu shrugs as the rest of the Inarizaki second years facepalm. Does he need to be so rude? 

“Yikes…” Suna mutters, avoiding eye contact as he pretends he doesn’t know Atsumu. 

Matsumoto grits his teeth and glares at Atsumu. “Don’t get so full of yerself, Atsumu. Nakiusagi’s a powerhouse school too, we’ve been consistently second in the prefecture.” 

“And who’s been consistently first?” Atsumu asks, smirking arrogantly. “Second place is nice and all, but second place doesn’t get to go to Spring High.” 

“Can we go yet?” Y/N whispers to Osamu as he sighs, shaking his head tiredly as she pouts. “I just wanna go home…” 

“No one’s victory is assured. We’ll take you down and go to Spring High this time.” Matsumoto declares as the Inarizaki second years stare at him boredly. 

“Defeat us first, then you can talk.” Atsumu says. 

“Alright, we needa go now.” Ginjima cuts in, grabbing the back of Atsumu’s shirt and dragging him away. “Congrats for winnin’ the first round! See ya tomorrow!” 

* * *

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Spring High 」_  
_Day 2 – Quarterfinals & Semi-finals_

“So yeah, Atsumu managed to get a bunch of service aces but somehow Osamu managed to score more this time! He’s so salty and was sulking about it until people asked him for pictures, drama queen. The rest of the team is resting for Semis though, we’ll be playin’ again soon.” 

_“I see, your matches are always interesting.”_

Y/N chuckles at this. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. They’re pretty exciting, the crowds seem to love it when Inarizaki plays. Oh, they love Itachiyama’s matches too I’m sure.” 

_“I would assume so, considering we’re the long-time champions.”_

“Wow the audacity.” Y/N deadpans, rolling her eyes as she smirks. “Sorry to say, but you’re not gonna win this time, Sakusa.” 

_“We’ll see about that.”_

“Our next match should be soon, after Nakiusagi and Himeji Tech finish up with theirs, so start getting ready. Y/N, Chika, can you two go get the scores and stats of Minami High School?” 

“Yeah, we’ll be right back.” Y/N smiles nodding towards Inoue. “C’mon Inoue-chan, let’s go.” 

“Right!” 

The two hurry off to retrieve the scores as the rest of the team remains to prepare for their next match. Although they’re tired from Quarterfinals, they’re still confident for Semi-finals. Speed walking down the corridor, people move out of the way for the two managers, easily recognising their uniform jackets. 

“Um… Is Minami High School good?” Inoue asks quietly, nervously glancing around as Y/N looks at her. 

“Of course, they’re a top 4 team in Hyogo, so they’re no pushovers.” Y/N says simply. 

“Oh right, of course.” Inoue laughs sheepishly. “I don’t know why I’m nervous, I mean, Inarizaki’s the best team in the prefecture so we should be alright.” 

“We’ll be fine, so there’s no need worry ‘bout anything.” Y/N smiles. “Even Kita-senpai said he’s confident, so we’ll be fine.” 

Inoue smiles cheerfully at this, continuing down the corridor with Y/N. Once they’ve written down the scores and stats, they prepare to head back. The other match should be finishing up soon, then it’ll be time for Inarizaki’s match. 

“Oh? You two are Inarizaki’s managers right?” 

Y/N groans internally as she glances to the side. “Yes we are, we’re in a hurry though.” 

“Whoa you guys are practically celebrities in high school volleyball!” He exclaims, ignoring her. “Wait, but you’d be really pretty if you smiled. What’s yer name?” 

“Not interested.” Y/N deadpans, quickly grabbing Inoue’s arm and proceeding to walk away. 

“Wow, so frosty. I guess the rumours ‘bout you are true.” He says, following after them. “C’mon, just tell me yer name!” 

Y/N sighs as she glances at him once again, she recognises his uniform but doesn’t remember his school’s name. _‘Probs because they’re so bad I forgot who they were.’_ She thinks to herself, stopping as she takes her phone out to send a text. 

“Or, give me your number?” He tries again as she stares at him with dead eyes, Inoue holds onto her arm tighter as she hides behind her. “It only takes a second to give me your number.” 

Y/N sighs as she stares him straight in the eyes, still holding her phone. 

“I don’t have a phone.” 

“…What?” 

“There you are.” Suna says, jogging up to them. “I left while Nakiusagi was at match point, so the game’s probably over now. Let’s go.” 

“Wait-!” 

“Bye.” Suna deadpans, pushing him away dismissively. Y/N doesn’t even spare him a glance as they start walking back to their team. 

“Thanks, Rintarou.” 

“Whatever, I doubt you needed me to come anyway.” He deadpans. “And I ran too… Do you think coach will understand if I take it easy in the match?” 

“D’ya want me to ask Kita-senpai?” She deadpans in response as he lifts his hands in surrender. 

Suna smirks to himself as they continue walking down the corridor. “…Did you seriously say you didn’t have a phone _while_ holding your phone?” 

“What? You judging me?” 

“Nah, just proud.” 

“Let’s have a good match!”

The crowd buzzes with anticipation and excitement as the Inarizaki team enters the court. A huge crowd of fans gather in the audience, yelling out the names of the Inarizaki players as they wave around their fan signs. Their screams and cheers resonate loudly through the gym, easily drowning out the Minami team’s cheer squad. But it’s nothing in comparison to the Inarizaki cheer squad. 

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!”

“Looks like Minami’s servin’ first. Let’s cut ‘em off at one.” Coach Kurosu says as the rest of team cheers. 

“Right!” 

_FWEET!_

Spinning the ball in his hands, Minami’s setter tosses the ball into the air and runs up to serve, aiming for Atsumu. To his surprise, Atsumu doesn’t move out of the way, and instead he bumps it up. 

“‘Samu!” 

Osamu runs over to set the ball, tossing it back over to Atsumu who spikes it down. 

_Semi-finals: Inarizaki – Minami Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Minami_

“Nice kill! Atsumu! Atsumu!” 

“You’re crazy.” Suna deadpans as Atsumu grins at him. 

“Crazy good ya mean?” 

“Oi, it’s yer serve.” Osamu rolls his eyes, rotating for Atsumu’s serve. “Or are you so dumb you didn’t know?” 

“Shuddup!” 

“No fightin’ on the court.” Ojiro warns, eyeing both of them as they shrug. 

Atsumu takes six steps from the end line as the Inarizaki cheer squad and his fans chant loudly in excitement and anticipation. 

The referee blows his whistle as he signals for Atsumu’s serve.

Slowly raising his fist in the air, Atsumu keeps his eyes trained to the ground as he silences the stadium, his earlier smugness replaced with cold, calculated concentration. Everyone holds their breath. 

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu tosses the volleyball into the air as he runs up for his spike serve, slamming his hand into it as it smashes onto the end line. 

Everyone stares in shock as the ball bounces away. 

_FWEET!_

“Nice serve! Atsumu!” “ATSUMU-KUN!!!” “GIVE US ANOTHER!” 

Atsumu smirks to himself as he prepares for his second serve, taking four steps from the end line this time. Silencing the crowd once again, he tosses the ball into the air. 

He’s here to win. 

* * *

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Spring High 」_  
_Day 3 – Finals_

“Whaddya mean you’re not gonna play ‘Samu??” 

Osamu sighs for the hundredth time that day as everyone sweat drops, no one wants to listen to Atsumu’s whining. 

“Exactly what it sounds like, I’m not gonna play.” Osamu deadpans. “I think I slept weird last night, my back hurts so I probably won’t be able to play at my best. It’s probably better to sub someone in for me.” 

“That’s it?? Just yer back?? Yer sittin’ out just ‘coz yer back hurts???” 

“Yes!” Ojiro groans, finally running out of patience. “That’s what he’s been sayin’! You can stop askin’ now!” 

“I don’t get it!” Atsumu whines. “I’d wanna be on the court even if I broke my back!” 

“Really?” Kita asks as everyone freezes. 

Atsumu sweat drops as he avoids eye contact. “Ehh… Well… Haha, no?” 

“If you were to break your back, then you’d need to go to hospital. Being on the court wouldn’t even be an option.” Kita states as everyone sighs, preparing for another lecture. 

“Right…” Atsumu mutters as he listens to Kita continue to lecture him, he just wants to get on the court. 

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

The cheers of the Inarizaki cheer squad resonates through the gymnasium, easily capturing everyone’s attention at their volume. 

Suddenly, the Inarizaki band starts blasting their theme song. Trumpets, trombones, tubas, the brass instruments easily drown out all other noises, but that doesn’t stop the fans from cheering for their favourite players. 

“Atsumu! Osamu!” “ARAN!!” “MIYA-SENPAI!” “Suna!!” “Akagi-senpai!” “GO GET ‘EM GIN!” 

“Argh… I hate the Inarizaki fans…” Nakiusagi’s captain groans. “They scare me so much…” 

“That’s ‘coz yer a coward.” 

“Mokkun! That’s mean!” He whines as the rest of the team sweat drops. 

“Actually, where is Inarizaki? They haven’t shown up yet.” Fujiwara asks, looking over to the other side of the gym to see Inarizaki’s side empty. 

“Yeah, they’re late.” 

“Argh… they must be taking their sweet time.” Matsumoto scowls. “Bet they’re gonna arrive fashionably late, those jerks.” 

Suddenly, the doors open as Inarizaki enters, following Kita’s lead as they stride into the gymnasium. Instantly, the crowds start cheering even louder, getting even more excited as Inarizaki finally arrives. 

“IT’S THE MIYA BROTHERS!” “OJIRO ARAN!!!” 

Atsumu smirks at this. “Seems like everyone’s here for us.” 

“Too bad I ain’t playin’.” Osamu mutters. “I’m sure the fans will understand.” 

“We can make somethin’ up to make it seem really tragic, they’ll be completely fine.” Y/N says, shrugging in disinterest. “Anyways, let’s hurry up. We’re already late.” 

Once warm-ups are over, the Inarizaki team gathers around their coaches, listening in to what they have to say. 

“We’ve beaten Nakiusagi numerous times in the past, but don’t let that get to yer heads! Our team isn’t even the top team in Japan, so if we kept clinging onto the glory of last year, the glory of yesterday, what can we possibly hope to achieve now? We rise to the challenges of today. You know what you need to do, right?” Coach Kurosu asks. 

“Yes!” 

“This is finals, let’s win and go to Spring High. Show ‘em how it’s done.” 

“Alright!” 

_“We will now begin the Japanese National High School Volleyball Tournament, Hyogo Prefecture Qualifiers, Boy’s Finals. Hyogo Prefectural Inarizaki High School versus Nakiusagi Tech.”_

The audience claps for both teams as they wait in anticipation for the match to begin. 

Kita walks up to Nakiusagi’s captain and shakes his hand. The cameras focus onto the court as they start filming. 

_“We will now introduce the Inarizaki High School starting line-up.”_

_“Number 2, Oomimi Ren. Number 4, Ojiro Aran. Number 5, Ginjima Hitoshi. Number 7, Miya Atsumu. Number 10, Suna Rintarou. Number 13, Kosaku Yuuto. Number 15, Libero, Akagi Michinari.”_

One by one, each member jogs onto the court as their name and number gets announced, high fiving Y/N and the coaches as they jog on. 

“Why isn’t Osamu playing??” “Damn… I really wanted to see the Miya brothers play together…” “Maybe he’s not feeling well?” The crowd murmurs as Osamu sits on the bench, not really caring what other people think. 

_“Coach, Kurosu Norimune.”_

Coach Kurosu smiles as everyone claps for him, waving at the crowds as they cheer. 

_“Next, we will introduce the Nakiusagi Tech starting line-up."_

Y/N sighs to herself and glances at Osamu as the announcers start introducing the Nakiusagi team, whispering to him as they jog onto the court. 

“It’s so weird seein’ you on the bench. I almost don’t believe it.” She says as he rolls his eyes. 

“Whatever. I ain’t feelin’ well so it’s better that I sit out, it’s not like it’s much of an issue anyway, everyone on our team’s strong.” 

“True, true~ I’m sure it’ll be fine with Kosaku-kun.” Y/N chuckles. “It’s just strange not seeing you on the court with Atsumu.” 

Osamu pauses for a moment before sighing. “…I guess that’s true.” 

_“Ladies and gentlemen, please cheer on both teams and wish them the best.”_

The audience claps for both teams as they stand on the court, facing them proudly as the spectators clap and cheer for them. The starting players move into position for the match to begin. 

Of course, it begins with Atsumu’s serve. 

_Finals: Inarizaki – Nakiusagi Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Nakiusagi_

“Nice serve!” 

The Inarizaki band continues to blast their theme song as Atsumu prepares for his serve, taking six steps from the end line as his eyes stay trained on the floor in concentration. 

Sighing to herself, Y/N leans closer to Osamu and whispers. “Does he hafta be so dramatic every time he serves?” 

“Don’t ask me, ask someone who cares.” Osamu deadpans. 

_FWEET!_

Slowly raising his fist in the air, Atsumu keeps his eyes trained to the ground as he silences the stadium. Everyone holds their breath in anticipation. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu jumps up and slams it down onto Nakiusagi’s court. 

_FWEET!_

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Nakiusagi_

“Nice serve! Atsumu! Give us another!” 

“Welp, here we go.” Y/N chuckles. “Is it really an Inarizaki match if Atsumu doesn’t score a service ace right off the bat?” 

“Don’t let him hear you say that, it’ll get to his already inflated ego.” Osamu deadpans. 

“True, true~” Y/N chimes as she watches Atsumu send his second serve over. “It’s gonna be a long day, sometimes I wish 5 set matches didn’t exist.” 

“Try playin’ one, you’ll love it.” Osamu sighs. “At least I’m not gettin’ tired today I guess.” 

“Watchin’ the team play is already tirin’ to me.” Y/N deadpans. “It’s a different kind of fatigue, and yer gonna experience it with me today.” 

“Yay.” 

“Argh, we could’ve gotten that one!” 

“I know right… If only Suna would just _jump_ -!” 

“He does know that Kita-senpai’s gonna tell him off later, right?” Y/N asks as she facepalms. Just because they’re in the lead doesn’t mean they can slack off. 

“Of course he knows, Suna’s not stupid.” Osamu sighs. “…Unlike ‘Tsumu.” 

“Every day is Atsumu hate day.” 

“Of course.” 

“Oomimi-senpai’s spikes are so good… No one really talks about them, but they’re so cool…!” Y/N mutters in awe as Osamu nods in agreement. 

“Yeah, he spikes from a really high place too, it’s hard to block.” 

“So then… where are the Oomimi stans?” 

“Don’t ask me, you’re the one in charge of marketing the members.” Osamu deadpans. “Maybe you’re not doin’ a good job advertising him.” 

“Wow, so it’s my fault.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Maybe I should just stop featuring you and yer brother so much.” 

“Yeah, maybe you should.” Osamu agrees. 

“…No way in hell.” Y/N deadpans. “You two are the biggest money makers on the team, I ain’t gonna do anything to change that.” 

“Ah, so we’re just money machines to you. I see I see.” Osamu sighs, looking off into the distance as she rolls her eyes. She pats him on the shoulder. 

“At least you’re aware now.” 

“And Atsumu crouches down to set the ball, successfully getting it up for Aran-senpai, who slams it down with incredible power! Inarizaki scores again!” 

“It seems like the ‘Tsumu thing is being helpful for once, something he rarely is, although I’m sure we can all agree that that point was all thanks to Aran-kun!” 

“Are you two gonna keep commentating the whole match?” Coach Kurosu deadpans as Y/N and Osamu snicker. “I thought your talkin’ was bad… but your commentating is way worse… please go back to talking.” 

“You’re too nice, Norimune.” Coach Oomi sighs. “Can you two just stop talkin’ and focus on the match?” 

“Well… we _can_ stop talkin’…” Y/N says slowly. 

“But we won’t.” Osamu shrugs. “It’s not like we’re not focusin’ on the match, it’s _because_ we’re focusin’ that we have so much to say.” 

Coach Oomi groans as Coach Kurosu lets out a laugh. “Just give up, Tarou, you just can’t win against these kids.” 

“Home run!” Osamu snickers as Atsumu hits his serve out. 

“WHAT DIDJA SAY?? YOU WERE JUST TRASH TALKIN’ ME WEREN’T YOU-!” 

“Atsumu, we’re in the middle of a match!” Ojiro groans, whacking the back of his head. “You can fight Osamu when you get home, focus for now.” 

“Hnng-!” Atsumu grumbles under his breath as he moves back into position, not before shooting a glare at Osamu. Y/N smirks at this. 

“Wow, what a loser.” 

“N/N?? NOT YOU TOO???” 

“Atsumu, focus!” 

_Finals: Inarizaki – Nakiusagi Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [23 – 19] Nakiusagi_

Suna glances at the scoreboard as he lets out a sigh. Inarizaki’s probably going to win in straight sets again. He briefly considers slacking off, but as soon as he even thinks of it, he feels Kita’s eyes burning into his back. 

Boredly, Suna walks to the end line for his serve, watching the referee carefully. 

_FWEET!_

Suna instantly sends his serve over on the whistle, still managing to take them by surprise as they stumble to receive the ball. 

“Soz’! Cover!” “Got it!” 

Nakiusagi’s captain runs after the ball and bumps it up. “Wacchan!” 

Fujiwara jumps up to spike the ball, only for Oomimi and Ojiro to instantly line up with him. _‘Dammit…! Inarizaki’s blocks are so fast-!’_

_BAM!_

Aiming for a wipe out, Fujiwara’s spike bounces off of Ojiro’s outstretched arm and to the side, but Kosaku runs over and kicks the ball back up. 

“ARE YOU SERIOUS??” The Nakiusagi bench yells in exasperation. 

“Atsumu!” “Alright!” 

Jumping up to set the ball, Nakiusagi watches Atsumu carefully, analysing his every movement as he smirks. 

He dumps the ball. 

“Oh that little-!” “Hnng-!” 

Fujiwara and Mori dive for the ball, not making it in time as it bounces onto their court. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 19] Nakiusagi_

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” The cheer squad chants enthusiastically, waiting in anticipation for Suna’s second serve. 

“Argh, those jerks…! We’ll get the next one!” Nakiusagi’s captain calls, clapping his hands as they all move back into position. 

_‘Argh… Set point too… Inarizaki literally just needs one more point and then they’re going to Spring High. Again.’_ Matsumoto scowls internally. _‘Meanwhile, we needa get 7 points in a row, and win another 2 sets in a row… That sounds doable.’_

“Focus on the next point, Matsu.” Mori murmurs under his breath. “Don’t start thinkin’ about irrelevant things.” 

“…Right.” Matsumoto mutters as he grimaces. _‘But… if we lose here, then it’s over for the third years… they’ll have to retire…’_

_FWEET!_

Suna instantly sends his serve over. 

_‘…And then, I’ll never get to play with them again.’_

“Acchan!” “Got it!” 

Their Libero successfully shifts to the side and gets Suna’s serve up as Mori and Fujiwara both start running up for Quicks. 

_‘Double Quick?’_ Ginjima thinks to himself as he positions himself. _‘They’re trying this so late in the game?’_

“Mokkun!” 

Oomimi and Ojiro instantly line up to block Mori as he spikes the ball. 

_BAM!_

“One touch!” Oomimi yells as Suna bumps it up. 

“Atsumu!” “Alright!” 

Knowing that Atsumu would want to mimic their attack, Ginjima and Kosaku both run out for Quick attacks as well, much to Nakiusagi’s annoyance. 

“Gin!” 

Ginjima jumps up to spike the ball as the Nakiusagi blockers rush over to block him, but they’re a little slow. 

_BAM!_

“Hnng-!” 

Their Libero manages to get the ball up, but it heads over the net. “Soz’!” 

“Nice receive, Acchan!” “Chance ball!” 

Suna positions himself to receive. “Alri-” 

“Got it!” Atsumu cuts in, going to set on the first touch. Suna quickly moves out of the way to give Atsumu room. 

Ojiro quickly starts running up to spike as Nakiusagi’s blockers instantly rush over. 

_‘We’ll stop you this time…!’_

Atsumu dumps the ball, again. 

“WHAT THE HELL??” 

Nakiusagi’s Libero groans as he dives to get it up, managing to bump it up with a pancake. But it quickly bounces off of Mori’s leg and out of bounds. 

_Finals: Inarizaki – Nakiusagi Match_  
_(3:0 / 28-26, 25-22, 25-19)_

**Winners: Inarizaki High School**

The crowds instantly start cheering in excitement, celebrating Inarizaki’s expected victory. It’s not like anyone thought Nakiusagi even had a chance of winning. 

“ALRIGHT!” Atsumu cheers as they all pump their fists in the air. 

“YEAH!!” Akagi yells as he runs onto the court, pulling them all into a group hug. Ginjima grins widely in joy as they celebrate. 

“Your brother is a jerk, he made that final point so anticlimactic.” Y/N deadpans as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“You can complain about it to him later.” 

“Meh, feels bad though. No one ever pays attention to the losers.” Y/N says, glancing over to the Nakiusagi side, seeing the direct contrast in expression. 

“Oh well.” Osamu shrugs, not really caring. “Guess this means we’re goin’ to Spring High.” 

“Yeah~ Honestly, this is a nice change from all your action packed, tense matches. This one was more chill.” Y/N says. 

“So basically, you’re sayin’ that Nakiusagi sucks.” 

“You said it, not me.” 

Osamu chuckles at this, shaking his head as he looks over to the court, watching as his brother and his teammates celebrate their victory. Somehow sensing Osamu’s gaze, Atsumu turns to him and sticks his tongue out. 

“We won without you ‘Samu! We don’t needja!” 

“Atsumu, shut up.” Ojiro deadpans. 

Sighing at this, Y/N facepalms. “Your brother is… special.” 

“That’s a nice way of putting it.” Osamu mutters, sighing to himself as he helps Y/N tidy up a little. He glances back at the team, thinking carefully before turning away. 

“…Hey, Y/N.” He starts, instantly getting her attention. “…There’s somethin’ I wanna talk to you about… Can we talk tomorrow?” 

Y/N blinks in surprise, watching him carefully as he shifts nervously under her eyes. It’s strange seeing Osamu get nervous, almost timid even. 

“…Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!!! Flashback to that one time I looked this guy in the eyes and said "I don't have a phone" while holding my phone 🤩🤩 (Yes, I said it on purpose.)
> 
> Also omg the new manga chapter... Sakusa... I love him... My heart... I am weak... I'm so happy that he's living his best life 😭😭 I just want everyone to be happy and he's happy to be playing volleyball I- 😭😭😭 And omg when they took out the banners... omg... Itachiyama's banner was one thing because it made Sakusa look so good but omg when they took out Inarizaki's banner... ;-; I may or may not have teared up 😭😭 Furudate... why did you play with my emotions TT^TT
> 
> Anyway! I hope you liked this chapter! I was surprised because I get a lot of comments/messages saying you guys really like how I write matches :')) I don't know why but I was always under the impression that most of you found them boring XD I'm glad you guys like them though since I do put in a lot of effort =w= I decided not to go into detail for these matches though, mainly because I wanted to focus on something else... :) I'm not sure if you remember the timeline... but yeah :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you look forward to the next chapter :)
> 
> ~~~  
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	32. Love/Expectations

_“Hello L/N Y/N,_

_Thank you for your patience. We are very excited to inform you that your Artist Alley Application for Tokyo AniArt Convention 2012 has been successfully accepted! Congratulations!_

_The next stage of proceedings will be going into more detail about payments and Invoices which are required for your place in the Alley to be locked in. You will hear from us shortly about that. But for now, take the time to get excited!_

_We look forward to seeing you at the Tokyo AniArt 2012 Artist Alley!_

_Congratulations again!”_

Y/N stares at her phone screen in shock, trying to process what she just read. Did she read that right? 

Rereading the email over and over again, it takes Y/N a few minutes for the words to fully register and the shock to slightly dissipate, finally accepting that it’s not a hallucination. 

_‘But wait, it could be a prank.’_

Y/N rereads the email one more time just to make sure. Once she’s certain that it’s real, she finally allows herself to smile, letting out a relieved sigh. 

“It’s happening!” She cheers, grabbing her fox plushie and squeezing it tightly. “It’s finally happening! I’m goin’ to Tokyo! I… needa start orderin’ more prints and start looking into transportation and accommodation.” 

Instantly getting back to her laptop, Y/N starts researching for cheap options, knowing that her parents probably wouldn’t help her with anything. 

_‘Oh wait… my parents…’_

Grimacing, Y/N groans as she facepalms. They still have no idea she applied. 

* * *

“I’m just runnin’ some errands for the club, I’ll be back soon.” Y/N calls as she slips out the front door, heading to the park close to her house. She’s gotten too used to lying, but there’s no other way to leave the house. 

Letting out a sigh, Y/N shoves her hands into her pockets as she listens to the buzzing of the street. Now that they’re in the second half of Autumn, it’ll be getting significantly colder soon. 

Once she arrives at the park, she finds Osamu already waiting there for her, sitting boredly on the bench as he scrolls through his phone. Sensing her presence, he glances up at her once she approaches. 

“Yer late.” He deadpans as she rolls her eyes. 

“You’re sayin’ that like it’s unusual.” Plopping down on the seat beside him, Y/N glances around the park. “How’d you manage to lose Atsumu? I’m surprised he didn’t decide to tag along.” 

“He wanted to, but don’t worry, he’s not coming.” 

“Sounds ominous, what’d you do?” 

Osamu smirks slightly. “I may or may not have left some volleyballs lying around the house… and a few dirty socks too.” 

“Ew.” 

“Told mum it was ‘Tsumu, s’not like she’d believe him if he said otherwise.” Osamu shrugs innocently. “So yeah, he’s grounded.” 

“Sounds terrible, I approve.” Y/N chuckles. “Sooo… What didja want to talk about…?” 

“Well…” He starts, avoiding eye contact. 

“Well?” 

“Well…” 

“Osamu, what is it?” She deadpans. “I’ve been anxious ever since you said you wanted to talk about something, and I’ve already gone through the seven stages of grief because of it.” 

“Oh, my bad.” He mutters. 

“Yes, your bad. Now what is it?” 

“Well…” He starts again. 

“Well?” 

“Well…” 

Y/N sighs at this, gently nudging him to get him to look at her. “Whatever it is, if yer not ready to talk then it’s fine, y’know? Although you’re not the kind to hesitate… so that’s a bit worrisome. You don’t hafta say anything though.” 

“No no, the whole point of comin’ here was to talk.” He mutters, before letting out a long sigh. “I think…” 

“You think?” 

“I, uhh... I think that I’m…” 

“You think that you’re…?” 

“After high school… I think I’m done with volleyball.” Osamu sighs. 

“Oh.” Y/N blinks in surprise, taking a few moments to register his words. “Wait, what?” 

“I made up my mind a while ago…” He continues, wringing his hands. “I told myself that I was gonna get a job dealin’ with food and food service.” 

“Oh… Congrats then, Osamu.” She smiles. “I think it’s wonderful that you’ve found somethin’ you wanna do…” 

“Thanks.” Osamu smiles in relief. “I think it’d make me happy… I always liked cooking, and I just don’t think volleyball’s the thing for me, even though it’s what’s expected of me I guess…” 

“Guess we’re both lowkey suffering from the expectations of others.” Y/N chuckles. “But y’know, just ‘coz yer good at something, maybe even one of the best, that doesn’t mean you hafta keep doing it…” 

“Yeah, I agree. You’re probably sufferin’ more than me though, I’m sure my parents would be supportive of my passions at least… but you…” 

Y/N lets out a dejected laugh. “Ha, but me. Oh that reminds me, I hafta tell you something too.” 

“Yeah? What is it?” He asks curiously as she avoids eye contact. 

“Well…” 

“Well?” 

“Well…” 

“Argh, don’t start this now.” Osamu groans as she snickers. “Now _I’m_ gettin’ anxious. What is it, Y/N?” 

“I got into a convention!” Y/N cheers. 

“A what?” 

“Well, just before Interhigh, _Tokyo AniArt Convention_ opened up applications for their Artist Alley! And I applied and kinda forgot about it oops, but then I got an email earlier today sayin’ that they accepted my application and I can go!” She rambles excitedly, eyes sparkling as she does her best to explain. “Basically, I get to make my own merch and stuff, and sell ‘em in the Artist Alley! I’ve been wanting to do this for a while and it’s finally happening!” 

Osamu chuckles at this, patting her on the head as he smiles. “I’m happy for ya. Damn… that’s so good.” 

“Hehe~ thanks! I’m so excited!” 

“I bet, I’m so proud of you for continuing to chase after what you love doin’, even though people expect you to do somethin’ else.” Osamu says. 

“You’re one to talk, Osamu.” Y/N chuckles. “I really admire your ability to give up something you’re great at, seriously, you’re an amazing volleyball player. But I think it’s more amazing that you’re gonna defy everyone’s expectations in order to chase a dream you’re more passionate about.” 

Osamu smirks at this. “I mean, when you say it like that… I guess I _am_ seriously amazing.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this. “Argh, sometimes I forget that you share genetics with Atsumu.” 

“Oh yeah.” 

“Hm?” 

“I mean, I made up my mind that I’m goin’ into the food industry, but…” He trails off. 

“But?” 

“…I haven’t said anything to ‘Tsumu yet.” 

“…I haven’t said anything to my parents yet either.” Y/N mutters as they both sigh. “What are we gonna do?” 

“Well, I can hold off tellin’ ‘Tsumu for a bit longer… but I’m guessin’ you’re gonna needa say something to your parents before randomly disappearing into Tokyo for a few days.” 

“Yeah… I know they’re gonna try to stop me though.” She groans as Osamu pats her back in encouragement. 

“It’s alright. I know how you are, you’re probably gonna be able to come up with an endless list of irrefutable reasons for why you have no choice but to go.” 

“True, I already brainstormed.” 

Osamu chuckles at this. “But y’know, you looked really happy before, when you were telling me about the convention. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that excited, I’m glad I got to see you look so happy.” 

“Oh? Is that so?” 

“Yeah, I like seeing you so happy.” 

“HNNG-!!!” Y/N clenches her heart as she staggers back. “Right in the heart ‘Samu! Right in the heart!” 

Osamu rolls his eyes at this. “I see yer in the mood for dramatics.” 

“I mean… have you seen my teammates? They’re all drama queens.” Y/N deadpans as Osamu smirks. 

“Sounds about right.” 

Y/N snickers under her breath as they fall into a comfortable silence, looking around the park in interest. It’s a cool Autumn day, and the lack of people at the park makes it feel peaceful. After a few moments, Osamu sighs. 

“You should probably get home soon, yer parents will get suspicious if you stay out too long.” He says as he gets up. 

“True… I love my life.” Y/N sighs. 

“C’mon, I’ll walk ya home.” Osamu says simply as they start walking. “Don’t worry, I won’t go the full way, so they won’t see me.” 

Y/N smiles at this. “Thanks Osamu, you’re such a gentleman.” 

“I’m only doing what I should. If this counts as being a gentleman, maybe you haven’t been treated right.” 

* * *

“So yeah, I’m gonna be in Tokyo in December! If my parents let me that is… but honestly, I think I’d just run away to Tokyo if they don’t…” 

_“Really? And how do you plan on living here?”_

“…Itachiyama is a boarding school right?” She asks hopefully as he sighs. 

_“It is, but I doubt you have the money to attend.”_

“Wow, the callout. I’m hurt.” Y/N deadpans. 

_“Someone needs to.”_ Sakusa deadpans in response as she chuckles. _“Now… when do you plan to tell your parents?”_

“I do not ‘plan’ on telling them, however, I have to.” 

_“Understandable, but planning will make sure you’re prepared, I’d suggest you plan.”_

Y/N sighs tiredly as she plops onto her bed. “Yeah… I am plannin’. I think I’ll hafta tell them tonight… They’re in a good mood at the moment so the window of opportunity is upon me. Might as well go for it.” 

_“I see. Good luck then.”_ Sakusa responds simply. 

“Thanks.” 

_“I think your tenacity is amazing, it’s not easy going against the expectations of others, and I’m certain it isn’t easy to achieve what you’ve achieved so far. So, you should be proud of yourself.”_

“…Thanks.” Y/N mutters. “I think yer amazin’ too, Sakusa.” 

_“Thank you. You fascinate me, L/N. Goodbye for now.”_

“…Bye?” 

_‘?????’_ Y/N stares down at her phone before she starts pacing around the room in confusion. She makes wild hand gestures as she tries to collect her thoughts. 

_‘What??’_

Stacking the dishes, taking them to the sink, wiping down the table, Y/N nervously cleans up after dinner as she does her best to mentally prepare herself for the inevitable conversation. In the corner of her eye, she glances at her parents as they lounge around on the coach, reading the news in silence. 

Once she’s finished cleaning up, Y/N takes a deep breath as she hesitantly approaches them, nervously playing with her fingers behind her back. “Mum, Dad.” 

After a few moments, they glance up at her. “What is it?” 

“There’s an art convention in Tokyo, it’s happening in December. I-” 

“You can’t go.” Her dad interrupts. “You have school and better things to do. Why waste all that time and money going somewhere so useless anyway?” 

Y/N keeps her blank face as she continues staring at them, starting to panic inside. “Even if I were to attend as an artist selling my art?” 

“Y/N… We love you a lot, but we have to be honest with you since no one else will. Do you really think there’ll be people who think your art is good enough to buy?” Her mum asks as she sighs sadly. “I don’t want to say it, but I have to because I love you, do you really think people would want to buy your art?” 

“Yes.” Y/N says instantly, unwavering. “I know there are.” 

Her mother sighs sympathetically as she gets up to go hug her. “Oh Y/N… I wish there were too, but you have to be realistic.” 

“Just give up, Y/N.” Her dad sighs. “Hasn’t this gone on for long enough? I thought you’d be over this phase by now…” 

“But it’s not a phase, I’m serious.” Y/N insists. “This is something I want to do.” 

“For now.” Her dad says as he sighs again. “It’s not realistic, we’ve tried to support you as best as we can, but we have to look out for your future too.” 

_‘You call this support?’_ She internally deadpans as she does her best to resist the urge to scream. 

“Is that all, Y/N?” Her mum asks as she smiles. 

Thinking carefully to herself, Y/N realises that she needs to start lying, again. There’s no other way, they can’t be convinced. 

“They invited me to go.” She says slowly, Lie 1. “They saw my art on my pages and asked me to go.” Lie 2. 

“What?” Her parents glance at each other, dumbfounded. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes.” Lie 3. 

“…Maybe the convention is a low level one.” Her dad mutters. “Doesn’t matter, just say no.” 

_‘No.’_ “I can’t, this art convention is very popular, it’s an amazing opportunity, I already accepted.” Lie 4. 

“You what??” Her mother asks in shock. “You already accepted??” 

“Without our permission?” 

“Yes, it’s a wonderful opportunity.” She says slowly, doing her best to stand her ground. Lie 5. “And… you always taught me to make the most of all the opportunities that present themselves to me.” 

Sighing at this, her dad groans as he runs a hand down his face. “We meant things like academic opportunities, scholarships, competitions, not thinks like this.” 

“And you didn’t ask for our permission.” He mum adds as she shakes her head in disappointment. “Why didn't you? We’re your parents…” 

“Because, it’s a competitive spot, there are many artists that wish they could go.” Y/N says simply. “And because I knew that, I already confirmed that I’d attend.” Lie 6. 

“What about school? Are’ya just gonna skip school? Does your education not matter to you?” 

“…I spoke to my teachers about this.” Lie 7. “They were excited for me, and encouraged me to go, because they understand that this is a wonderful opportunity.” Lie 8. 

Her dad sighs again, watching her carefully. “So, is it too late to tell them you can’t go?” 

“Yes.” Lie 9. “It’s too late, plus… you always taught me to never go back on my word.” Lie 10. 

“It’s too late dear, there’s nothing we can do.” Her mum sighs as she gets up. “I don’t have anything more to say to you, Y/N. I hope you know what you’ve done.” 

Once her mum’s walked away to her room, Y/N hesitantly turns her eyes to her dad, who’s still watching her carefully. He scowls at her, standing up as well. 

“I don’t know about your mother, but I hope you know that I’m disappointed in you.” 

Watching him walk away as well, Y/N finally allows herself to relax once he’s out of sight, shoulders slumping tiredly as she sighs. 

_‘I know…’_

Absentmindedly lying in bed, Y/N blankly takes her phone out, still feeling drained from the earlier conversation. Opening up her messaging app, she quickly types up a message and sends it. 

_‘I’m going to Tokyo.’_

* * *

_‘Hmm… in regards to merch, what would be best…’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she looks through the folders of her art. _‘Obviously prints are a given, I’ll probably choose different sizes too… but what else?’_

Taking out her phone, Y/N starts looking at the accounts of various other artists, looking at their Artist Alley tables as well as their online stores. 

_‘Ohh, keyrings and notebooks are good and I’ve already got some. Stickers are cute too but I probs won’t. Maybe totebags?’_ She thinks to herself as she continues scrolling. After a while she groans. 

“Argh… there’s so many different things I can do…! I need advice!” 

Huffing to herself, Y/N quickly opens up her contacts list and scrolls down to Sakusa’s name. Just before she presses the call button, she stops herself for a moment. _‘Wait, he’s probs not the best person for this, why did I instantly scroll to his name?’_

Facepalming, she tries to think to herself. _‘Hmm… who would be the most helpful…’_

_“Tendou said that you are an artist. He has also informed me that you produce your own merchandise. As someone who has interest in the arts, I believe it would be beneficial to have access to your contact information.” He states, face expressionless as he remains ignorant to the dumbfounded stares around him._

_‘Tendou, Ushijima.’_ She mentally deadpans, sighing as she scrolls to Tendou’s name, feeling more comfortable calling him than Ushijima. 

Pressing the call button, Y/N waits for a few moments for him to pick up. 

_“Hello~ What’s this? My Otaku buddy calling me?? I’m so blessed!”_ Tendou cheers. _“So how are you doing Y/N-chan? Why’d you call?”_

“Hi Tendou-senpai.” Y/N chuckles. “I’m doing well, thanks for asking. As for why I called, are you familiar with _Tokyo AniArt Convention_?” 

_“Oh??? Of course I am! I wanted to go this year but I can’t skip out on school~ So sad~”_ Tendou whines to himself. _“But why? Hm? You planning on going? Want me to skip school and go with you??”_

Y/N laughs at this. “That’s not what I’m askin’, Tendou-senpai. But yes, I do plan on going, my application for the Artist Alley was accepted.” 

Tendou gasps dramatically as she hears a bunch of crashes in the background. _“WHAT?! Y/N-CHAN THAT’S SO GOOD! I’M GONNA TELL EVERYONE THAT WE’RE FRIENDS! HELLO WORLD! I AM FRIENDS WITH A FAMOUS ARTIST!”_

“Tendou-senpai, you’re overreacting.” She chuckles under her breath, smiling softly to herself. “But thanks.” 

_“I’m not overreacting Y/N-chan! This is amazing! Seriously, congratulations! I’m so happy for you!”_ He cheers enthusiastically. 

“Aww, thankyou…” She says, still smiling. “Anyway, I called to ask for advice on merchandise.” 

As soon as she says that, she hears more crashes on his end. 

_“REALLY?? YOU WANT MY ADVICE??”_

“Uhh… yes?” 

_“THEN I WILL GLADLY GIVE IT!”_ Tendou cheers. _“Hang on! I think Wakatoshi-kun would be helpful too since he likes art a lot! I’ll go to his room right now!”_

“Wait, you don’t hafta-” Before she can finish her sentence, she hears Tendou slam the door open as he runs down the hall. 

_“Just wait a bit, Y/N-chan!”_ He says enthusiastically as she sighs, realising that there’s nothing she can do to stop Tendou’s eccentric ways. She hears him stop for a moment as he knocks on a door. _“Wakatoshi-kun! Do you remember Inarizaki’s manager Y/N-chan? She wants your advice for art merch! Here I’ll put her on speaker!”_

“Wait-!” Y/N cringes when she realises that she’s already been put on speaker. _‘Damn you, Tendou.’_

_“Now now, Y/N-chan, don’t worry, we’ll help you!”_ Tendou exclaims. 

_“Yeah.”_

_“For me, hmm… I tend to like art prints since they’re nice~ but I also go for smaller things like keyrings, badges, stickers and stuff! What about you Wakatoshi-kun?”_

_“Books.”_

_“Ohh! Great idea Wakatoshi-kun! Like an artbook! Those are so good!”_

“Hmm, I like that idea, but artbooks take a lot of time and preparation… not to mention money, I don’t think I can.” Y/N sighs. “But I do plan on doing the art prints, I’ve got keyrings and notebooks as well, I don’t wanna make too much though.” 

_“No worries, Y/N-chan! We understand!”_ Tendou cheers. _“Hmm… other ideas then… Any ideas, Wakatoshi-kun?”_

_“You could print on bags.”_

_“Ohh like totebags!”_

“That’s a good idea.” Y/N chimes in as she starts writing down ideas, she’ll have to research more on manufacturers after. “Any other suggestions?” 

_“Shirts.”_

_“Your ideas are so good, Wakatoshi-kun!”_

Y/N chuckles to herself as she writes their ideas down, smiling subconsciously as she listens to Tendou and Ushijima. They’re a strange pair, but it’s nice that they get along so well. 

_“Oh by the way! Congrats for winning Hyogo Qualifiers!”_ Tendou exclaims. _“Miyagi Qualifiers are next week so yeah~ We’re gonna win of course!”_

“Thanks, and good luck! I’m rooting for you.” Y/N smiles, knowing that Shiratorizawa’s confident that they’ll be victorious once again.

“Alright, any more ideas?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE AMOUNT OF COMMENTS AND MESSAGES FROM PEOPLE THINKING THAT OSAMU WAS GOING TO CONFESS I- XDDD
> 
> You thought Osamu was going to fall for you, but in truth, you fell for Osamu =w= 
> 
> Anyway~ this chapter's a bit of an emotional roller coaster =w= I remember applying for my first convention... I forgot I applied until I got the acceptance email... XD Oh well~ 
> 
> Also, Tendou and Ushijima cameo! OuO I'm not sure if you remember, but some of the stuff was mentioned in earlier chapters =w= I love referring back to the earlier events huehuehue I left so many things back there and I'm going to bring back so many >:D
> 
> Anyway! I'm legit so tired and the sun's risen already welp... I have to wake up early tomorrow (today) as well because I have work :'D so that's nice :)) I wanted to get this chapter done a bit earlier so I could sleep but I always underestimate how much time each chapter takes to write 😭😭 I have lots of plans for the next chapters though huehuehue OuO You should already know what arc comes after this... Just saying O3O
> 
> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> ~~~  
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	33. Where Monsters Go

“Ready?” Y/N asks. 

“I’m ready.” Ginjima declares, frowning as he stiffly faces forward. 

As soon as she gets the okay, Y/N slides the horizontal headpiece of the stadiometer down, resting it on top of Ginjima’s head. 

“What is it?” Ginjima nervously asks as he stands stiffly. “…Please be nice.” 

“I don’t think your height changes depending on how nice I am.” Y/N deadpans as she records his height. “180.3cm, congrats.” 

“Yuss!” Ginjima cheers. “Finally over 180! Thanks Y/N!” 

“…You’re welcome?” She raises her eyebrow at this as she chuckles. “Thanks for giving me credit for your growth I guess.” 

Ginjima rolls his eyes as he slips his shoes back on. “Yeah yeah, I’ll send Atsumu in.” 

“Thanks.” Writing Atsumu’s name down on the next line, Y/N glances up when she hears him come in. “Welcome, are’ya ready to put your pride on the line, Atsumu?” 

Atsumu huffs as he rolls his eyes. “Very funny, N/N, I know I’ve grown, just wait ‘til you’re super impressed with my height!” 

“Sure, you ready?” 

“…Can I stretch a bit first?” 

“…Why are you four just silently staring at each other?” Y/N deadpans as she leaves the nurses office. “Wait, on second thought, I don’t wanna know.” 

“Yer here now, N/N.” Atsumu says seriously, eyes still locked on the other three. “Please reveal our heights one by one.” 

“What? Why?” 

“As if we’d trust each other to tell our real heights.” Osamu rolls his eyes. “Go on, tell ‘Tsumu that I’m still taller than him.” 

“Oi! Let her reveal all our heights one by one first!” Atsumu huffs as he turns to Y/N. “Go on, tell ‘Samu I’m taller than him now.” 

“Seriously?” Y/N deadpans. “Does it really matter that much?” 

“Yes, it does.” They all say in unison. 

Y/N rolls her eyes as she sighs. “Fine. Hitoshi’s 180.3cm now.” 

“Oh! Nice job, Gin! You’ve gotten into the 180s!” Atsumu cheers as Osamu and Suna give him thumbs up. “Now we’re all in the 180s~ nice.” 

“Yeah, nice. Anyway, Rintarou’s 185.7cm now, still the tallest.” 

“Yeah that’s right~” Suna smirks lazily as he looks down on the other three. “It’s alright though, at least you guys are… above average I guess. Better luck next time.” 

“Jerk.” Atsumu scowls as Suna’s smirk widens. “How ‘bout me and ‘Samu? Who’s taller now, N/N??” 

Y/N sighs as she facepalms. “Fine. Osamu is…” 

The four of them watch her expectantly in anticipation as they wait for her tell them. Y/N smirks slightly as she trails off and starts slowly backing away. 

“Oi tell us! ‘Samu is what??” 

Y/N smirks as she pats Atsumu on the shoulder. “Osamu is 2 millimetres taller than you. Don’t mind.” 

“NOOOO!!!” Atsumu screeches as he crumbles to the floor in defeat, Osamu and Suna laughing hysterically as they take jabs at Atsumu, mocking him for losing once again. 

Smirking to herself, Y/N takes out her phone to take pictures of Atsumu’s pitiful form, knowing that they could be useful one day. Ginjima sighs to himself as he facepalms, it’s hard being the only sane Inarizaki second year. 

* * *

“Ready to go?” Kagawa asks as she smiles. 

“Yeah, I think Coach Kurosu’s makin’ announcements today, sounds exciting.” Y/N says as she grabs her bag and starts heading to the gym with Kagawa. 

“Mmm~ that’s true.” She agrees light-heartedly. “Spring High is pretty close, and there’s probably a bunch of other things we’re gonna hafta do before then.” 

Y/N smiles at this. “I know right, we don’t get paid enough for this.” 

“We don’t get paid at all.” Kagawa deadpans as Y/N chuckles. 

_Buzz. Buzz._

Feeling her phone vibrate with a notification, Y/N takes it out to read her messages, only for her to stop in shock. Noticing her change in expression, Kagawa stops as well. 

“L/N-chan? What is it?” 

Rereading her message over and over again to confirm, Y/N quickly stuffs her phone back in her pocket and starts running. “We needa get to the club quickly!” 

“What?? What is it??” Kagawa yells as she starts running after her. “Yer scarin’ me! At least tell me why I needa run for the first time in months??” 

“I’ll explain there!” Y/N calls back as she continues running to the gym, Kagawa reluctantly following behind. 

Slamming the gym door open, the members inside flinch as they turn to look at her questioningly. 

“N/N? What’s wrong?” Atsumu asks as he approaches her. 

Y/N pants heavily as she tries to catch her breath, gesturing for them to wait a moment as Kagawa runs into the gym as well. 

“What is it, Y/N?” Kita asks, looking at her questioningly. Taking a deep breath, Y/N delivers the news. 

“Shiratorizawa lost in the finals.” 

“…What?” 

“Shiratorizawa lost in the finals at Miyagi Prefectural Qualifiers, they’re not going to Spring High.” Y/N explains again as everyone does their best to process her words. 

“WHAT?!” 

“Are’ya sure??” Atsumu asks again. “Who told you??” 

“Sakusa.” Y/N answers simply as she takes out her phone, showing him the text. 

_‘Wakatoshi-kun isn’t going to nationals. Shiratorizawa lost.’_

The second years remain silent as they crowd around her phone, trying to process what they’d just read. After a few moments, they glance around at each other, not really sure how to react. 

“Well this is… unexpected.” Ojiro breathes out. “Who beat them?” 

Y/N quickly takes her phone back to send a message, waiting a moment for her answer. 

“Some team called Karasuno.” 

“Everyone, I have some announcements.” Coach Kurosu calls as he enters the gym with Coach Oomi. The members quickly gather around to hear what he has to say. “First of all, good job once again for winnin’ Qualifiers, I have prepared a practise schedule for us and arranged some practise matches with Y/N’s help.” 

Smiling, Coach Kurosu turns to Atsumu. “Atsumu, you’ve been invited to attend the All-Japan Youth Training Camp!” 

Atsumu gasps in delight as he cheers. “Alright!” 

“Nice job, Atsumu!” Ginjima encourages, slapping him on the back as he smiles. “Damn… All-Japan huh? That’s crazy…” 

“Tell me about it, us ordinary humans could never even imagine being invited.” Suna says, shrugging nonchalantly as he turns his attention back to the coaches. 

“The training camp is gonna be held for five days at the beginning of December, and right before Spring High in January, so you don’t hafta go.” Coach Kurosu smriks as he shrugs. “Though I don’t think you’d even consider stayin’ back.” 

“Of course not.” Atsumu scoffs as he smirks confidently. “I ain’t gonna miss out on a chance to play with the best of the best, that’s where I belong.” 

“Humble as always.” Y/N mutters under her breath as Kagawa snickers. 

“Youth camp huh…? That’s insane…” Riseki mutters to himself as a few other members agree with him. “All-Japan… the best… Atsumu-san’s going…” 

“Don’t think too hard, Riseki, you might hurt your brain.” 

“Wait, that’s not all.” Coach Kurosu interrupts. “Your lovely manager also has some news for you, not exactly related to the club but she wanted to share anyway. Go ahead, Y/N.” 

Y/N scowls at her coaches as they smile innocently at her, prompting her to talk. Sighing to herself, she nervously faces her teammates. “Ehh… well… I’m leavin’ you.” 

“…What?!” 

The coaches facepalm at this. “Don’t say it like that!” 

Y/N snickers to herself as she smirks. “Just for a few days. I applied for an art convention a while ago and got accepted! I think it’s happenin’ the same weekend as Atsumu’s Youth Camp, Tokyo as well. So yeah~” 

“You got accepted??” Akagi asks excitedly. “That’s so good Y/N-chan! I knew you’d get in!” 

“Wait, the who the what the how??” Atsumu asks. “Didja tell me about this or is this my first time hearin’ about it?” 

“No, I didn’t tell you before.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “I didn’t know if I’d get in or not, so I didn’t wanna give you false excitement.” 

“Are’ya kiddin’?? The fact that you even applied is amazin’ already!” Atsumu insists. “Seriously! You gettin’ accepted is no surprise, I’m still stuck on the fact that you _actually_ applied!” 

“Ehh… well… Akagi-senpai encouraged me…” Y/N trails off as she averts eye contact. “It’s no big deal…” 

“Seems like a big deal to me.” Ginjima grins as he pats her on the back. “Congrats Y/N!” 

“Thanks…” 

“Makin’ steps towards the promised future, I see how it is.” Suna says. “Good job, how’d your parents react?” 

“How’d my what?” Y/N smiles as she turns to him. 

“Ah, I see.” Suna nods solemnly. “I’ll attend your funeral.” 

“She’s goin’ anyway, so maybe they’re not completely against it?” Osamu suggests. 

“Pfft, as if they could stop me from goin’.” 

“Wait wait!” Atsumu interrupts. “The convention’s happenin’ the same week I’m going to Youth Camp, right??” 

“Yeah…?” 

“We can go together!” Atsumu cheers. “We can go on the bullet train together! Maybe visit a few places durin’ break time! Whaddya say?” 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this. “Atsumu, your trainin’ camp is for 5 days, the convention’s only for 3 days, you’ll be goin’ to Tokyo before me.” 

“You can go early?” Atsumu suggests. “Get away from yer parents for a bit longer, also give you time to prepare and get ready for your convention thing. Doesn’t hurt to take a bit of a break too~” 

“It wouldn’t be wise to skip school to go to Tokyo for a break.” Kita says as he approaches them. “Perhaps it would be better to stay back in Hyogo before going. Although it isn’t your priority, keeping up with studies is important.” 

“That’s true, but maybe the extra time to prepare would do her some good.” Ojiro says. “We don’t want her to underestimate the preparation time and effort it takes to attend a convention, I think it’d be better if she took some time off so she’d be well prepared.” 

Kita thinks for a moment. “I suppose that’s true.” 

“It’s also safer to travel with another person.” Akagi cuts in. “So maybe going with Atsumu’s a good idea! They can keep each other safe!” 

“Yeah, that’s true.” Kita and Oomimi agree as the second years sweat drop. 

_‘When did this turn into a team discussion…?’_

“Well, seems like most people think it’s a good idea, N/N! Whaddya say?” Atsumu asks excitedly as she stares at him with dead eyes. 

“…My answer is still no.” 

Atsumu pouts at this. “We’ll see~” 

Packing up after a long training session, Y/N sighs to herself as she collects the volleyballs and drags the cart back to the storage room. There’s the usual chatter in the air as the rest of the team helps with packing up too. Once everything’s been packed away, she glances to the side and notices the twins standing in the doorway. 

“Nice job qualifying for the Youth Training Camp, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu says simply as Atsumu scowls at him. 

“Well then start getting more upset about it, ‘Samu!” 

“I am upset, dumbass.” Osamu rolls his eyes. “Actually, what I’m most upset about is the fact that… I’m not actually that upset. Well I mean, you’ve been busting your butt so…” 

“What the heck? You better not be implying that you weren’t giving it your all.” Atsumu scowls. 

“Please, I simply came to the realisation that the Youth Camp only invites people who not only work hard, but are mentally unstable as well." 

“EXCUSE ME?” 

_‘Ohh that was a good one.’_ Y/N thinks as so goes over to Suna and Ojiro to watch them. 

“In terms of skill level, you and I are about the same.” 

“No way, I’m head and shoulders better than you.” Atsumu scoffs. 

“Let me finish will ya?” Osamu deadpans as he sighs. “The thing is Atsumu, when it comes to the love of the game… that flame burns a bit brighter in you than in me, y’know?” 

* * *

Y/N sighs as Atsumu continues chattering in her ear, she just wants to eat lunch in peace, but it seems like it’s too much to ask. For the past few weeks, Atsumu’s been consistently asking her to go to Tokyo early with him, somehow managing to bring up new reasonings every day. She’d never tell him, but she’s lowkey impressed by his tenacity. 

“So you could spend those two days gettin’ more inspiration! You don’t hafta visit the art galleries but I’m sure there’s all kinds of stuff in Tokyo!” Atsumu continues, watching her expectantly as everyone else sweat drops. 

“Dude, don’t you ever give up? How is it that you never know when to quit?” Suna deadpans. 

“Trust me Suna, when ya _really_ want something, quitting is never an option.” Atsumu says seriously before turning back to Y/N. “So whaddya say?” 

“The answer is still no, Atsumu.” She deadpans. “Just give up. Skippin’ two days of school? My conscience won’t allow it.” 

“But there are sooo many more reasons to skip than not to skip.” Atsumu groans. “Gin! Whaddya think? D’ya think she should go early?” 

“Huh?! Uhh…” Ginjima sweats a bit as he averts eye contact. “Well…” 

“Oi, don’t drag Hitoshi into our debates.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Just give up wouldja? Since when have you ever convinced me to do anything?” 

“Actually…” Osamu begins, before trailing off and avoiding eye contact when she glares at him. “Never mind.” 

“I’ll convince ya!” Atsumu declares as they all roll their eyes. 

“Sure.” 

Y/N sighs as she flops onto her bed, holding her phone to her ear. “It’s been weeks but he’s still somehow bringing up new points every day?? I’m starting to think that he’s just got a list and is just choosing which ones to bring up… D’ya think he’s scheduled what to say to me?” 

_“Potentially. Miya seems like that kind of person, considering the fact that he’s highly skilled in the art of annoyance.”_ Sakusa answers as Y/N chuckles. 

“Hmm, that’s true~ By the way, why d’ya call Atsumu “Miya”? I get that you’re not close and stuff, but you’ve met Osamu before, doesn’t it get confusing?” 

_“To call Miya by his first name would be to acknowledge him as a person. I’d rather not.”_

“Okay that’s fair.” 

_“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you so adamant on not going early?”_ Sakusa asks. 

“Hmm… it’s not that I don’t _want_ to go early, ‘coz I do, it’s just that I don’t think I should.” Y/N explains as she shrugs. “I mean… I already lied to my parents in order to actually get to go… That’s already bad enough, but to also skip school and add onto the lies? That’s not good for my conscience.” 

_“You’re feeling guilty?”_

“Yeah, I mean… I don’t wanna add to my list of crimes, y’know?” 

Sakusa thinks for a moment to himself. _“I don’t think you have anything to feel guilty about. Sure, lying isn’t a good thing, but you did everything you could in order to get where you want, I think that’s admirable.”_

“Ya think?” Y/N asks. “I don’t know… it just doesn’t feel right.” 

_“You are a person that’s constantly looking out for others and putting them before yourself, don’t you think it’s time you started thinking about yourself?”_

“…Maybe.” Y/N mutters as he continues. 

_“I think it’s great that you’re finally doing something for yourself, rather than for others. It’s something to be proud of.”_

“Thanks…” Y/N sighs. “So what d’ya think I should do?” 

_“That’s completely up to you.”_ Sakusa says simply. _“Although, I do think it would be a good idea to come to Tokyo early.”_

“So…” Y/N pauses for a moment as she thinks. “Sakusa… basically, you’re agreeing with Atsumu.” 

_“Goodbye.”_

“Coward.” 

Y/N walks to the gym with Akagi, listening as he talks about his never ending pile of homework. It’s tough for the third years at this time, now that they’re nearing the end of their high school life. Just as they enter the gym, Atsumu comes running up to them. 

“Mornin’ Akagi! N/N! Yer lookin’ as beautiful as ever today! Is yer bag heavy? I’ll carry it for you!” 

“What the hell…?” Akagi and Y/N mutter as Atsumu continues singing praises, they’re slowly getting increasingly disturbed by his behaviour. 

“Is this a new strategy…?” Akagi whispers to Y/N as they stare at Atsumu. 

“I honestly don’t wanna know.” Y/N whispers back as they slowly back away from him. 

“Hey N/N! Didja know that travelling with yer friends is really fun and exciting?? We should try it some time!” 

“Hey look a volleyball!” Y/N says as she bolts to the other side of the gym, trying to get away from Atsumu as he runs after her. 

“Oi! I’m just jokin’! C’mon! It’s only 2 days! You’ll hardly miss anythin’!” He yells as they run around the gym. Once he catches up to her, he grabs her arm to stop her from running. “You technically wouldn’t even be skippin’! Since you’ve got a good reason to miss school!” 

Y/N groans as she swats his hand away, trying to catch her breath. 

“Atsumu, for the last time, I’m not going early.” She says as she stands up straight, still panting slightly. “And nothing you say can convince me otherwise.” 

* * *

Y/N blankly stares outside the window of the bullet train, fiddling with her fingers as she listens to the background noises. The train ride is mostly quiet, if she ignores Atsumu’s soft snores from beside her. She can’t believe she let him convince her. 

Sighing to herself, she takes her phone and starts mindlessly scrolling through her social media accounts. Unlike Atsumu, she probably won’t be sleeping any time soon. 

“Are we there yet?” 

“Do you know how to listen?” Y/N deadpans. “They said that Tokyo Station’s the next one, hence why I’m packin’ up my stuff.” 

“A simple ‘yes’ would’ve been nice.” Atsumu mutters as he starts packing up his things as well. “We’re finally in Tokyo~” 

“Not there yet, but soon I guess.” Y/N sighs. “Can’t believe I’m here… two days early…” 

“Toldja I’d convince you~” 

“Never again.” 

“‘Kay, where to?” Atsumu asks as he turns to Y/N. 

“…I’m startin’ to think that the only reason why you want me here is so you don’t get lost…” Y/N mutters as she takes out her phone to get a map. 

“Oi, your sense of direction is just as bad as mine.” Atsumu rolls his eyes as they start walking towards Akabane Station. 

“So… you agree that your sense of direction is bad.” Y/N says as she smirks slightly. “At least you’re self aware.” 

“What? No I- Argh whatever!” Atsumu huffs indignantly as she snickers. “Wait, so where’s the training centre?” 

Y/N takes out her maps and looks at it. “Hmm… Ajinomoto National Training Center… it’s in- oh wait. Guess where it is.” 

“Huh?? I’m asking ‘coz I don’t know.” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “What is it?” 

Y/N snorts as she shows him her phone. “…It’s in Kita City.” 

“Huh??” Atsumu screeches. 

“I know right, look.” Y/N snickers. “3 Chrome-15-1 Nishigaoka, Kita City, Tokyo. Guess we can’t escape Kita-senpai no matter how hard we try.” 

Atsumu sweats nervously as he glances around. “Ya don’t think that… Kita-san owns the Kita City ward… d’ya?” 

“Who knows, knowin’ Kita-senpai, anything’s possible.” Y/N shrugs. “Anyway, we needa get there quickly so I can check into my hotel.” 

“D’ya want me to go with you to yer hotel? I don’t mind, it’d be safer and I think I’d be able to find my way to the training centre.” Atsumu suggest as they start walking again. 

“Nah, s’fine.” Y/N dismisses. “I’ll get ya to the training centre then probs look around for a bit before gettin’ to my hotel. Thanks for the offer though.” 

“If yer sure~” 

“Wow… so that’s Ajinomoto National Training Center… it’s kinda scary.” Y/N breathes out as they stand in front of the training centre. 

“Yeah…” Atsumu mutters as he continues staring at the building. “Thanks for comin’ here with me, N/N.” 

“It’s all good, I should probably get going now.” Y/N says as she checks her phone. “I’ll message you when I get to the hotel.” 

“Alrighty~” Atsumu chimes. “Call me if ya run into any trouble, I won’t let anyone mess with ya.” 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine, Atsumu.” Y/N shrugs. 

“I’m sure you will be, but Tokyo’s a lot bigger and busier than back at home, who knows what kind of creeps lurk around. So just call me if anyone even looks at ya funny.” Atsumu says seriously. 

Y/N rolls her eyes at this. “Whaddya gonna do? Teleport to me?” 

“…Just say yes!” 

“Fine!” Y/N laughs as she pats his shoulder. “I’ll be goin’ now, have fun at camp.” 

“I will~ stay safe.” Atsumu calls as he waves at her. 

“Sure, and thanks for worrying.” Y/N says as she walks away, waving back at him as she leaves. 

Walking back to Ouji Station, Y/N takes her time to marvel at the bustling life of the big city. She’s gone to Tokyo before, but she’s never really taken the time to look around. Admiring the scenery, Y/N smiles slightly before she prepares to head off to her hotel, but something else catches her attention. 

Noticing a tall guy with jet black hair, Y/N can’t help but think that he looks lost. She sweat drops as she watches him frown at the paper in his hands as he tries to read, tilting his head to the side in confusion. 

_‘That guy looks so lost…’_ She thinks to herself, feeling like she should help him. _‘All black uniform…? Why do I feel like I’ve seen him before?’_

The person in question continues to intensely stare at the paper in his hand, obviously not comprehending anything that he’s reading. 

_‘…This is kinda sad.’_ Y/N sweat drops as she sighs. _‘…Maybe I should help him.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oya? I wonder who it could _possibly_ be... :)
> 
> Thankyou for patiently waiting for this chapter~ =w= I've been super duper busy with a bunch of work to do :'D You'd probs know if you follow my Instagram or Twitter XD That's part of the reason why this chapter took a bit longer than usual =w= 
> 
> Lots of things happened in this chapter huh? OuO I really enjoyed writing this one~ It's got lots of moments that I've been planning for a while so I'm really glad we're finally here XD And the next chapters... :) You guys should know what's coming... :)
> 
> That being said... the end of Haikyuu is coming, huh? I always knew that it would come before I finished my fic... but I guess it's really hitting me now. Of course, I'm very sad to see this story that touched me so much and inspired me, come to an end. But I guess all good things do. I won't say much else because I'm still waiting for the inevitable... I've already reached the acceptance stage but I'm still feeling a little empty. I hope we'll all enjoy the final chapter together. 
> 
> This fic will still continue, of course. There's so much more that I have planned and it's not ending any time soon, I guess that's helping me cope a little :') I hope it'll help you cope as well, even if just a little. I hope you'll look forward to the future chapters, and everything I have planned. 
> 
> Thankyou so much for reading, and I just want to say I'm really grateful for all the love and support my fic's gotten :') I'm very touched that so many people enjoy it so much! So thankyou, and... when the next chapter comes out... Haikyuu would have already ended. I hope you'll still enjoy it nonetheless, I'll see you then.
> 
> ~~~  
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	34. Care

_‘That guy looks so lost…’_ Y/N internally sweat drops as she watches him continue to struggle. 

_‘Wait a minute. Flat black hair, black jacket, sports bag… Is that the setter from the team that beat Shiratorizawa?’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she continues to observe. _‘He looks so lost… Should I help him? Nah. Maybe he’s fine and I’m just looking too far into it… no need for unnecessary human interaction.’_

Just as she’s about to walk away and leave him on his own, he scratches his head and flips the paper upside down, turning it around multiple times. 

_‘Wow. This kid might actually just die.’_ Y/N mentally deadpans as she approaches him. “Excuse me, are you lost?” 

The boy flinches as he quickly turns to her. “N-no! I mean uhh… yes.” 

“Would you like some help then, uhh…” Y/N tilts her head slightly as she tries to read the messy, upside down, half covered kanji on his paper. “To…bio…?” 

“Ah, my name is Kageyama Tobio.” He says. 

“Ah, I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind.” 

“Alright then… Then you can call me Y/N.” She says after a moment. “Yer a first year, right?” 

Kageyama suddenly stands up extra straight as he nods. “Yes! I’m Kageyama Tobio, and I’m a first year from Karasuno High School! I’m on the volleyball team and I play setter!” 

“Oh, nice.” 

“Ah- the setter is umm… it’s like-” Kageyama scrunches up his face as he tries to find the words to explain his position. 

Y/N chuckles at this. “It’s fine~ I’m actually the manager of the volleyball team at my school, our setter is pretty good. I’m a second year by the way.” 

_‘So cool…!’_ Kageyama thinks to himself as his eyes widen. 

“So, where are’ya tryin’ to go?” 

“Ah-! I’m… trying to get to Aji… Ajino… the National Training Center! But…” Kageyama trails off as he mumbles to himself, avoiding eye contact. 

“But…?” 

“…I can’t read kanji.” He mutters quietly as he slumps a little. 

Y/N presses her lips together to stop herself from laughing, she can’t help but find him a little endearing. “Well… Kanji is difficult to read, so it’s fine! I know where it is, I’ll take you there.” 

“Y-Y/N-san! Thank you very much!” 

“It’s fine, I’m happy to help, Tobio.” 

Kageyama walks alongside Y/N as she navigates their way towards the training centre, listening to her every word as she explains everything in detail. 

“Um… Y/N-san, are you from a different prefecture?” Kageyama asks as she glances up at him. 

“Hm? Yeah, how’d you guess?” 

“Your dialect…” 

“Ahh makes sense.” Y/N nods, lowkey surprised that he was able to pick up on it despite being seemingly oblivious to everything. “D’ya know where my dialect’s from?” 

“…” Kageyama scowls a little as he looks away, grumbling under his breath. 

“I’m takin’ that as a no.” Y/N chuckles as he continues to grumble. “I’m from the Kansai Region, hence my Kansai-ben. I’m from Hyogo.” 

“Ah I see.” Kageyama nods. “What’s your volleyball team like?” 

“Hmm… Well, takin’ care of them is a pain, they’re always causin’ trouble and makin’ a mess but…” Y/N smiles slightly as she sighs. “Every now and then, when I watch them on the court, I think they’re pretty amazing.” 

“That’s Ajinomoto National Training Center over there, just go straight in and they’ll help you navigate around the area. Will you be alright?” Y/N asks as she turns to him. 

“Yes, thank you so much, Y/N-san!” Kageyama exclaims as he bows. 

“It’s alright, Tobio.” Y/N chuckles as she checks her phone for the time, realising that she needs to go soon. “Anyway, I’ll see ya ‘round.” 

Kageyama nods again as she turns around and leaves, waving to him slightly as he watches her go. Once she’s gone, Kageyama comes to a realisation. 

_‘…I forgot to ask her what school she goes to.’_

Mentally facepalming, Kageyama turns around to face the training centre as he walks through the gates, staring at the building in awe. “I’m finally here…!” 

“Karasuno High School Volleyball Club…” 

Kageyama turns around as he hears someone approach him. 

“You’re from the team that beat Wakatoshi-kun.” 

Looking at the person that approached him, Kageyama quickly recognises his face. _‘That’s… Sakusa Kiyoomi from Itachiyama Academy. He’s one of the top three spikers in Japan, and the only second year amongst them… And I get to watch him up close.’_

Quickly standing up straighter, Kageyama introduces himself as he bows. “I’m Kageyama Tobio and I’m a first year from Karasuno High School, I play setter. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Huh? Yeah, sure…” Sakusa mumbles as he walks past him. 

_‘Damn… I’m starting to get excited…!’_ Kageyama thinks to himself as he follows him in. 

* * *

Y/N sighs tiredly as she flops onto the bed in her hotel room. Travelling is exhausting and she’s honestly glad that she let Atsumu convince her into going a few days early. Half-unpacking her things, she quickly texts him to let him know that she arrived safely and plans to just stay inside all day. 

Plugging in her laptop and digital tablet, Y/N decides to make use of her free time to get to work, aiming to finish a few more drawings before the convention. She can unpack the rest of her things later. 

Hours of non-stop working fly by, it’s easy to get carried away with the time. She might have continued working for hours more, but the buzz of her phone quickly distracts her. 

_‘Miya Atsumu is calling…’_

“Ya?” Y/N asks as she picks up. 

_“N/N~ We got a 3 hour break between trainin’ and dinner so I’m free for now! We’re allowed to use the time for whatever we want, like goin’ out or stayin’ back for extra practise. D’ya wanna go anywhere? I got the time.”_

“Hmm… nah.” Y/n shrugs to herself, rolling her eyes at his offended gasp. “Oi, hotel rooms are expensive, so I should make full use of it.”

 _“Cheap.”_ Atsumu deadpans. 

“Smart.” Y/N corrects. “I plan on stayin’ in and doing more work anyway, so you can go do yer extra trainin’, since I know you wanna.” 

_“Fine fine.”_ Atsumu sighs. _“But only for today and tomorrow, since I know I can’t convince ya. We’re gonna go on Tokyo adventures for the days after, so make sure yer ready!”_

“Sounds wonderful. I’m so excited.” Y/N deadpans sarcastically. 

_“Good, you should be. Anyway, I’m gonna go practise some more. Later~”_

“Don’t overwork yerself.” Y/N calls before he hangs up. 

_“Only if you don’t.”_

Hanging up, Atsumu sighs as he stuffs his phone back into his bag, stretching a bit before he heads back to the volleyball courts, joining a few others for extra practise. Noticing his return, Komori smiles at him and waves. 

“Hey, Miya! Back for extra practise?” He asks cheerfully as Atsumu approaches him. 

“You bet~ Was just talkin’ to N/N, she’s in Tokyo at the moment.” Atsumu explains. 

“Ohh yeah, Sakusa told me.” Komori laughs. “Said she’s here for an art convention? Congratulations to her by the way!” 

“Wait, Sakusa knew?” 

“Yeah? They talk all the time.” 

Atsumu halts in his movements as he squints, cheerful attitude dropping. “They talk all the time, huh? Tell me more…” 

Komori sweat drops at Atsumu change in demeanour, sheepishly smiling. “Uhh… what’s there to tell? They just talk…” 

“What?! She didn’t say anythin’ about this to me!” Atsumu groans as he ruffles his hair. “I refuse to let Suna’s dreams come true! Are’ya sure they talk that much??” 

“Yes… I live in the same dorm as Sakusa…” Komori deadpans as he rolls his eyes. “Is it really that unbelievable? I mean, their personalities are kind of similar, so I’d expect them to get along rather than clash.” 

“But N/N’s not the kind to talk a lot! She usually doesn’t get along with people!” 

“Speak for yourself, Miya.” 

Atsumu gasps dramatically as he turns around to face Sakusa, who’s scowling at him. He glares back in response. “Huh? Whaddya tryin’ to say??” 

“That you should speak for yourself.” Sakusa deadpans as he rolls his eyes. “Do you have hearing issues?” 

“What??” Atsumu glares as Komori silently snorts. “My hearing’s just fine you… you jerk! Are’ya as rude to N/N as you are to me??” 

“Of course not, do you think I’d hold you in such high regard? You two aren’t on the same level.” 

Atsumu resists the urge to wrestle Sakusa and his uncaring face as he groans. “Argh! How can N/N stand to talk with ya??” 

“Maybe she sits.” Sakusa suggests sarcastically. 

Komori glances back and forth between Atsumu and Sakusa, secretly enjoying their petty argument. He lowkey wishes he had popcorn but decides that just spectating is enough, it’s free entertainment afterall. 

“Hnng-!!” Atsumu groans as he scrunches his face, trying to stop himself from attacking Sakusa. “That’s it! I don’t trust ya! N/N’s a nice person that deserves to be ‘round nice people, so stay away!” 

“I’ll stay away if she asks me to.” Sakusa rolls his eyes. “Plus, if you insist that she should be around nice people, why’s she around you?” 

“Why you-!” 

“Don’t you love it when people get along?” Komori asks cheerfully as he puts a hand on Atsumu’s shoulder. “I see you and Sakusa are getting along so well!” 

“Ew.” Sakusa mutters in disgust as Atsumu looks offended. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Anyway, I wanted to practise my setting.” Komori continues as he leads Atsumu away from Sakusa. “You’re obviously the best person to ask, so yeah! Let’s do some setting drills together!” 

“…Well I mean… if you wanna…” Atsumu trails off before smirking. “I suppose I _am_ the best person to ask, aren’t I~?” 

“Yep~ that’s why I want some tips and tricks from you.” Komori chuckles. “People say I’m really good at setting and it’s one of my strong points, but there’ll always be someone better to learn from, y’know?” 

“Well, yer pretty good at both setting and receiving, two skills are better than one~” Atsumu chimes as they grab a few volleyballs from the volleyball cart. 

“Says you, winner of _Best Setter_ and _Best Server_.” Komori chuckles as Atsumu smirks proudly. 

“You could say that again~” 

Back in her hotel room, Y/N pauses in her drawing as she squints. _‘…I feel like Atsumu’s being an arrogant jerk right now. I just hope he’s not making enemies…’_

* * *

Y/N stretches in her seat as she sighs, noticing that the sun’s gone down. She should probably eat something for dinner. 

Getting up from her seat, Y/N takes out the cup noodle from her bag that she’d bought from the convenience store earlier, boiling some water so she can eat it. Once it’s ready, she sighs as she sits down again, silently eating as she scrolls through her phone. 

When she finishes eating, she throws the empty cup in the trash and proceeds to clean up. Only to hear her phone start buzzing with a phone call. Pausing slightly, Y/N goes over to look at her phone, only to back away in fear. 

_‘Kita Shinsuke is calling…’_

_‘What did I do??’_ Y/N thinks to herself in distraught as she stares at her phone, internally screaming. _‘Did I somehow unknowingly commit a crime and Kita-senpai’s gonna tell me off??’_

Breathing heavily, Y/N shakily approaches her phone, hesitantly reaching for it very slowly. _‘Maybe Atsumu was right, maybe Kita-senpai owns Kita City and is constantly watching us…? I’M SO SCREWED!’_

Taking a deep breath, Y/N exhales slowly as she accepts the call. “Hello Kita-senpai, how are you this fine evening?” 

_“Hello Y/N, I’m doing well, thank you.”_ Kita calmly responds as Y/N internally screams. _“I called to check up on you.”_

_‘Oh, I’m so dead.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she starts mentally praying. “Oh, is that so?” 

_“Yes, I want to make sure yer taking care of yourself.”_ Kita explains. _“It must be difficult being alone in a different city, so I hope yer at least not neglecting your health.”_

“Oh… Thank you for caring…” Y/N mutters as she clenches her heart, feeling touched. “I haven’t really left my hotel… I’ve just been stayin’ inside and preparing, also doing school work and my other work as well, so yeah.” 

_“Have you eaten dinner yet?”_ Kita asks. 

“…Yes.” 

_“Did you have a proper meal?”_

Y/N starts to sweat at the question. “…Potentially.” 

_“What did you eat?”_

_‘I’m so dead.’_ Y/N winces. “…Some convenience store food.” 

Kita sighs and she can almost see him shake his head in disapproval. _“I suppose it cannot be helped, considering that it’s yer first day and yer probably very exhausted. From tomorrow onwards, eat a proper meal and sleep early. Taking care of your health should always be a priority.”_

“Yes, Kita-senpai…” Y/N mumbles as he continues. 

_“Buying fresh groceries every day would be ideal, however, if you are unable to find the time, be sure to buy in advance tomorrow.”_ Kita says. _“I understand that it would be expensive though, much more expensive and time consuming than purchasing convenience store food. Will you be alright?”_

“Oh, it should be fine.” Y/N says simply. “My… parents actually gave me some extra money for the trip.” 

There’s a short pause on Kita’s side as he thinks. _“Oh, is that so? That is quite surprising.”_

“Yeah… I know right.” Y/N chuckles slightly. “Even though they’re not exactly supportive, I guess they still care ‘bout their daughter to an extent, y’know? They also paid for a nice hotel room so I wouldn’t hafta go to some dodgy place…” 

_“That is good of them, I’m glad that they didn’t leave you on your own.”_ Kita says after a while. _“I hope that they’ll soon become more supportive.”_

“Thanks, Kita-senpai.” Y/N smiles. “How’s the club without Atsumu and I?” 

_“Quiet, well behaved.”_ Kita states matter-of-factly as Y/N groans. _“We were able to complete our trainin’ schedules as planned, with little to no issues.”_

“That’s nice.” Y/N mutters as she pouts. 

_“Yes, it is a nice change.”_ Kita confirms, oblivious to the way his words stabbed her. _“We will be having a few practise matches in the coming days, I’m sure they’ll go well.”_

“Yeah, I’m sure they will.” Y/N sighs as she facepalms. She can’t believe he’s indirectly implying that she’s a problem child like Atsumu. “I’m glad that it’s… quieter I suppose.” 

_“Being quieter doesn’t make it a good thing, it feels too quiet, like something’s missing.”_ Kita explains. _“I suppose that would be logical, considering the fact that the two of you are missing. Perhaps having you two under my care has become a habit in my daily life, so it feels strange to stray from my routinely lifestyle.”_

Y/N sweat drops at his explanation, trying to find the words to respond. “Kita-senpai… just say you miss us. There doesn’t need to be a logical explanation or symbolic reasoning for everything…” 

Kita pauses for a moment, before he lets out a laugh. _“Pu-haha! I suppose yer right.”_

_‘Kita-senpai just laughed I think I’m hallucinating.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she freezes in shock, not entirely sure what to do. 

_“I will be taking my leave now, granny has been glancin’ at me repeatedly, I think she’s excited ‘coz I’m talkin’ to a girl.”_ Kita sighs. _“Take care of yerself, Y/N, I’ll call again to check up.”_

“Thanks, Kita-senpai. Take care of yerself too.” 

_“Of course.”_

Hanging up, Y/N sighs as she faceplants into the table, thankful that the conversation went better than she expected, and touched that he’s so caring. Although they aren’t the closest, Kita has always been looking out for his teammates, a true captain. 

Just as she’s about to get back into doing more work, her phone starts ringing again. 

_‘Who is it this time??’_ She inwardly groans as she looks at her phone. 

_‘Miya Atsumu is calling…’_

Picking up, Y/N opens her mouth to talk, but Atsumu’s screeches cut her off before she can say anything. 

_“KITA-SAN JUST CALLED ME WHAT DO I DO??”_

Holding the phone away from her ear, Y/N rolls her eyes. “If he called you, why are’ya callin’ me?” 

_“…”_

“Good luck~” Y/N chimes helpfully. 

_“WAIT NO DON’T HANG UP! I PANICKED AND DECLINED HIS CALL WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!”_

“Call him back?” Y/N deadpans. “I don’t get why you think I’m gonna help you in this situation.” 

_“I’m so dead.”_ Atsumu mutters in distraught. 

“‘Kay, that’s nice. Have fun~” 

_“WAIT-!”_

Y/N hangs up on Atsumu before he can complain, sighing to herself as she puts her phone down and gets back into doing work. Hanging up on Atsumu is self-care. 

Atsumu stares down at his phone in betrayal and disbelief, he can’t believe she hung up on him like that. Stuck in his trance, he vaguely hears his dorm room’s door open. 

“Miya? Why are you staring at your phone like that?” 

“Hoshiumi… I think I’m gonna die.” Atsumu mutters in distraught, slowly turning to him as he trembles. 

“What? Why??” 

“My captain called me…” Atsumu mumbles as Hoshiumi raises his eyebrow. “…and I didn’t pick up…” 

“…That’s it?” Hoshiumi asks, not understanding the gravity of the situation. 

“You don’t understand! My captain’s a really scary guy! I also called my manager but she just hung up on me!” Atsumu whines as he crumbles to the floor. 

“…If he’s that scary, why don’t you just call him back quickly?” Hoshiumi deadpans. 

“‘Coz I’ll die!” 

“What, is he going to murder you over the phone?” Hoshiumi raises his eyebrow, staring at Atsumu in his pitiful state. 

“Knowin’ Kita-san, he might be able to!” 

Hoshiumi stares at Atsumu in disbelief, wondering if other Hyogo people are this crazy. “…Good luck then, Miya.” 

Atsumu gives him a thumbs up as Hoshiumi leaves him to wallow in despair, slowly lifting his phone to his face as he gulps slightly. Just as he’s about to call Kita himself, his phone starts ringing and he flinches as he drops it on the floor. 

Quickly snatching the phone back up, Atsumu answers straight away. 

“H-hey Kita-san…” 

* * *

The second day isn’t much different from the first. Y/N spends the whole day in her room, only going out for a short while to get groceries like Kita suggested, she wouldn’t want to disappoint him. 

Looking at the second year group chat, it seems as if Atsumu’s having fun with the training camp, sending pictures of the different facilities inside Ajinomoto National Youth Training Center, mainly of the volleyball area and the Athlete’s Village. He’d also spammed the chat with selfies including some of the members of the training camp, mainly with Komori but occasionally some blurry ones with Hoshiumi. 

Sakusa has also been keeping her updated with the things that happen at the Youth Training Camp, although she can’t help but notice that neither he nor Atsumu have acknowledged each other’s presence. 

_“And there’s this goody-two-shoes kid, Tobio-kun.”_ Atsumu continues. _“He’s a setter as well and he’s part of the team that beat Ushiwaka~”_

_“Sounds like competition.”_ Suna muses. _“You scared?”_

_“Pfft- nah~ What’s there to be scared about?”_

“Losing.” They all deadpan in unison. 

_“Have more faith in yer setter, don’tcha guys trust me?”_

_“So about that group chat without ‘Tsumu that we were talkin’ about earlier…”_ Osamu begins. _“I’m startin’ to think it’s a great idea.”_

_“Oi!”_

“Osamu, we all think it’s a good idea. It’s just that Hitoshi won’t let us.” Y/N sighs as she ignores Atsumu whines. 

_“I won’t let you guys do it ‘coz it’s bullying.”_ Ginjima deadpans. 

_“It’s not bullying if he doesn’t know.”_ Suna states matter-of-factly. _“So Atsumu, just forget this conversation. There, problem solved!”_

_“Gin! They’re bullyin’ me again!”_ Atsumu complains. 

_“Alright guys, knock it off.”_ Ginjima sighs tiredly. _“Aren’tcha going to yer convention tomorrow, Y/N? It’s yer first day, right?”_

“Mmhm, I’ve been busy preparin’ all day.” Y/N says simply. “Tomorrow’s just set up day, so I’m not actually gonna sell anythin’, the weekend’s when the actual thing starts.” 

_“Sounds fun, want us to ditch school to come? I mean it can’t be helped if you insist.”_ Suna says as she rolls her eyes. 

“I don’t insist, stay away.” 

_“N/N’s gonna hang out with me tomorrow anyways~ After trainin’ I’ll go getcha and we can explore Tokyo!”_ Atsumu chimes. 

_“Do you even know the way around Tokyo?”_ Osamu deadpans. 

_“Of course I do!”_

“I’m gonna die.” Y/N mutters in despair as Suna snickers at her. 

_“I mean… You two might not know the way around Tokyo… but someone at the training camp might…”_ Suna says slowly, hoping they get the hint. 

_“I don’t like what yer sayin’, Suna.”_ Atsumu deadpans. _“I swear if yer implyin’ a certain someone…”_

_“Relax~ I’m just talking about Komori~”_ Suna chuckles. _“What? Did you have someone else in mind?”_

_“…No.”_ Atsumu mutters. 

_“Really? So you didn’t think I was talking about Sa-”_

_“DON’T SAY HIS NAME!”_ Atsumu screeches as they all wince and roll their eyes. _“Argh, I hate him! He’s so annoyin’ and rude!”_

_“You shouldn’t say that about Komori, Atsumu.”_ Suna tuts as he shakes his head. _“I think you’re the annoying and rude one.”_

Osamu snorts at the statement. _“Truer words have never been spoken.”_

Rolling her eyes, Y/N sighs. “I think I’ll be goin’ now, got some final things I needa do before I go to bed, hope you’re all doin’ well.” 

_“Of course, Y/N. Hope everything goes well tomorrow, take care.”_ Ginjima calls. 

_“Yeah, have fun and stuff.”_

_“What he said.”_

_“See ya tomorrow.”_

“At least one of you cares.” Y/N deadpans. “Prepare yourself, Atsumu, you know who’s gonna call you soon.” 

_“Wait, who?”_

Y/N doesn’t answer as she hangs up, leaving him hanging as she stretches a bit. Checking the time, she knows that Kita’s going to call to check up on her soon, he always keeps to his word afterall. 

_“He called me normal.”_

“Pfft-!” Y/N does her best to hide her snickers, but she doesn’t do a good job. “Wow, the kid’s got guts, callin’ you of all people normal.” 

_“Tch.”_ She can almost see Sakusa scowling at the wall. _“I still don’t know how his team beat Wakatoshi-kun, he mentioned that some people were able to stop him, but Komori interrupted…”_

“I’m sure you’ll meet whoever they are at Nationals, so it’s all good.” 

_“It would be better to be cautious and get as much information as possible before I meet them.”_ Sakusa mutters as she breathes out a laugh. 

“That’s true, but I guess it can’t be helped~ Since I don’t think yer gonna wanna confront him again.” 

_“Absolutely not. I want to stay away from all the setters at this training camp.”_

Y/N pauses at this. “Setters huh? So… what did Atsumu do?” 

_“Exist.”_ Sakusa says in disgust as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“I understand the sentiment, but Atsumu’s not _that_ bad. He’s a smug bastard brat but he’s a good brat, y’know? He’s a good kid.” Y/N says. 

_“I don’t know how any of those words can be taken positively.”_ Sakusa mutters as he sighs. _“Plus, aren’t we all the same age?”_

“Actually, Atsumu’s older than you.” 

_“I hate him even more now.”_

“I still have no idea what he did to make you hate him so much.” Y/N chuckles. “Although, I guess Atsumu’s good at makin’ enemies, Osamu said that pretty much everyone hated Atsumu growin’ up.” 

_“…That’s unfortunate.”_ Sakusa sighs. _“Komori will be returning from his bath soon so I should take my leave.”_

“Alright, see ya later then.” 

_“Good luck with tomorrow, I’m sure it’ll go well.”_

“Thanks, good luck with… Atsumu I guess.” 

_“I’ll need it.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter makes me so happy =w= Hope you liked it too~ OuO
> 
> Kageyama is honestly so cute, I love him so much :')) Honestly I see him as this cute kid that I need to protect TT^TT He's just got this huge must protect energy you know?? He's so cute argh I love him 😭
> 
> I'm so excited to write the rest of this arc though OuO So many things are going to happen and I can't wait :D
> 
> All of that aside, how are we all feeling? :) Now that Haikyuu's... completed. I'd already reached the acceptance stage before the chapter came out, but honestly I'm not even completely sure if I actually processed the final chapter XD I think I still need a bit more time, it's very overwhelming :') 
> 
> I did make tribute art though~
> 
> Just me with my two boys ;-; All grown up... living their best lives... ;-; I'm fine... 😭 I'm so proud of them 😭😭
> 
> I wrote a super long post on my Instagram and other social media accounts so I won't write it here :'D It was originally over 5000 characters long but I had to cut it down as much as possible to fit it into the Instagram character limit XD So welp
> 
> That being said, thankyou so much for reading =w= I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter~ OuO
> 
> ~~~  
> [Website](https://www.universebunny.com)  
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	35. Not Alone

There’s no time to eat in the morning, not when you’re busy preparing for such a huge event. Arranging her prints and other merchandise, Y/N hurriedly packs her things into a suitcase, carrying all her products in it. Packing an extra backpack for the items she deems essential, Y/N quickly leaves the hotel and heads straight towards the JR Station. 

Keeping her head down to avoid eye contact, Y/N stands in the corner of her train’s carriage, doing her best to avoid being in everyone’s way. She feels a little bad for bringing a suitcase and taking up so much space. 

Once she arrives at her destination, Y/N briskly leaves the train to get to the convention centre. Speaking briefly with a volunteer who directs her to her table, before leaving her on her own. 

Glancing around, Y/N observes as the other artists busy themselves with setting up their own stalls, not conversing with each other as they concentrate. Turning back to her own table, Y/N starts taking out her things to prepare to set up, trying to not feel self-conscious about display her art so openly. And as she sets up alone, taking the first steps towards her dreams, it suddenly dawns on her. 

The path she chose, is very lonely. 

* * *

“Surprise!” Atsumu cheers as he jumps up to her stall. “Didja miss me?” 

“No.” Y/N deadpans as she rolls her eyes. 

“Yer just salty that I was right~ Toldja givin’ me the extra pass would be a good idea.” 

“As if I have anyone else to give it to- What’s that?” 

Atsumu smirks as he shoves the plastic bag in her face. “Meat buns! I got ‘em on the way here, I bet ya haven’t eaten yet.” 

“I don’t make bets that I know I’ll lose.” Y/N sighs as she gratefully takes a meat bun. “Thanks, Atsumu.” 

“Yeah yeah, you done yet? I wanna hurry up and explore Tokyo!” 

“Yes yes, I’m done.” Y/N chuckles as she grabs a light cloth so she can throw it over her stall later, picking up her backpack and putting it on. “So… whaddya think…?” 

“What do I think ‘bout what?” 

Y/N facepalms as she sighs. “My stall, Atsumu.” 

“Ohhh.” Atsumu turns to observe her stall as he rubs his chin in thought. “Hmm… it looks great! Really shows off all yer hard work!” 

“Thanks…” Y/N mumbles as she smiles. “Anyways, we needa throw this cloth thing over everything before we go.” 

“Alrighty~” Atsumu chimes as he helps her cover everything up. “Oh by the way, Komori told me something _absolutely_ awful!” 

Raising her eyebrow, Y/N looks at him questioningly. “What?” 

“Komori said you’ve been talkin’ to Sakusa!” Atsumu complains as she sighs to herself. “Really? Are’ya really talkin’ to him??” 

“Technically no, since I’m currently talkin’ to you.” 

“That’s not what I meant!” 

Y/N groans as they leave the convention centre, ignoring Atsumu’s scrutinising gaze. “I’m allowed to have other friends y’know.” 

Grumbling under his breath, Atsumu turns away from her as she rolls her eyes, already used to dealing with his dramatic tendencies. After a few moments, he lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“…Is he nice to ya?” 

“Hm? Yeah, of course.” Y/N responds. 

“That’s good then.” Atsumu shrugs. “Is there anywhere you wanna go? How about Tokyo Skytree??” 

“Isn’t that too far away?” Y/N deadpans. “Plus, there’s not much to do there, and it costs money.” 

“Well, whaddya suggest then?” 

“Hmm…” Y/N thinks as she looks around for things to do before spotting something. “How about the arcade?” 

Y/N does her best to contain her excitement as she stares at the array of plushies around them. “They’re… so cute…” She mutters under her breath as Atsumu laughs. 

“The one we got you is cuter though.” 

“Sure.” Y/N chuckles as she slowly walks past the crane games, taking her time to observe every single plush along the way as Atsumu rolls his eyes. 

“If ya want one _that_ bad we can try win one.” Atsumu says as she sighs. 

“Nah, s’not worth it. Our chances probably aren’t the best, and it’s not like I’m with the _luckiest_ guy ever.” Y/N looks at him pointedly as he gasps in offence. 

“Oi! I’m lucky too!” 

“Oh really? Who ended up winnin’ the fox plushie?” Y/N asks as Atsumu avoids eye contact. 

“…Suna.” 

“Shocker.” 

“It was a team effort!” Atsumu groans as Y/N laughs at him. “Stop laughin’!” 

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Y/N snickers as she smirks, looking around the arcade. “Any games you wanna play?” 

Atsumu stops grumbling as he glances around, looking for something interesting before he spots the taiko drums. “Ohh! We can play the taiko game!” 

“Taiko no Tatsujin?” Y/N asks as she spots the machine as well. “Is yer rhythm any good though?” 

“Who cares? It’s just a game.” Atsumu shrugs as he drags her over. “C’mon! Let’s try it!” 

_‘Imagine if someone said volleyball was just a game to Atsumu...’_ Y/N internally deadpans as she lets him drag her to the taiko drums, taking the taiko sticks he hands her. “Don’t be upset if I end up bein’ the better player.” 

“I won’t be.” Atsumu rolls his eyes as they select a song and get ready. “Let’s go!” 

“Atsumu don’t hit the taiko so hard, you’ll break it!” 

“How are’ya so good at this N/N??” 

“The real question is how yer so bad! Why’s your hand-eye coordination so bad?? You’re literally an athlete??” 

“Wait stop talkin’, I’m tryna concentrate.” 

“Loser loser loser loser loser-” 

“Shut it!” 

Y/N laughs hysterically as she smirks down on Atsumu, basking in her glory and his defeat. “How does it feel? How does it feel to grovel at my feet? To be so easily defeated?” 

“Awful.” Atsumu mutters as he groans, quickly jumping up. “I demand a rematch!” 

“Only if the loser pays.” Y/N smirks. “We can play as many games as you want, but the loser of the previous game has to pay.” 

Atsumu rolls his eyes at this. “Fine. I’m not stoppin’ until I win!” 

“I think it’d be quicker to just give up now.” Y/N mutters as she sighs. They’re going to be here for a while. 

“One more!” 

“Atsumu, my arms are literally going to break at this point.” Y/N deadpans. “Just admit that you’ll never score higher than me. Also, I hate that you’re not even tired.” 

“How are’ya even tired? We didn’t play _that_ many times.” Atsumu says as he puts the taiko sticks back. “Are’ya really that weak?” 

“Some of us aren’t athletes.” Y/N deadpans as she rolls her eyes. “Anyway, any other games you wanna play?” 

“DDR!” Atsumu cheers as he points to the Dance Dance Revolution game, much to Y/N’s exasperation. 

“Does every game you choose have to require physical effort??” Y/N groans. “Some of us don’t have crazy stamina y’know!” 

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!” Atsumu insists excitedly as he smiles at her. 

“DDR is only fun if you’ve been trainin’ for years.” Y/N deadpans. “Face it, we live in Japan, it’ll just be embarrassin’.” 

“N/N! We’ll both be bad anyway~ So it’ll be fine~” Atsumu says enthusiastically. “People tend to look at me anyway, so they won’t be payin’ attention to you!” 

Y/N scrunches up her face as she turns away, not wanting to see his eager face at the moment. “…No.” 

“Why not?? It’ll be fun!” Atsumu insists once again, making her squint at his blindingly bright smile. “You don’t even hafta pay, I’ll pay for us!” 

“How much money do you have? How are you not broke already?” Y/N deadpans as she sighs, facepalming as she tries to avoid Atsumu’s excited smile. “…Only one game.” 

“Yuss!!” Atsumu cheers as she rolls her eyes. 

“And I’m payin’.” She mutters as he does a double take. 

“Wait, really??” 

“Don’t do a double take!” 

Finally leaving the arcade, Y/N headbutts Atsumu’s shoulder as she sighs. “I’m so tired… and hungry.” 

Atsumu rolls his eyes as he scoffs. “Well, whaddya wanna eat?” 

“Hmm… I don’t really mind. Anything you want?” Y/N asks as they continue walking around Tokyo. 

“Nothin’ in particular.” Atsumu shrugs as he looks around. “How ‘bout ramen?” 

“Hmm… Wait. Aren’tcha gonna eat dinner later at your camp thing?” Y/N asks as she turns to him. “Don’t they already provide super healthy free food for you?” 

“Yeah, but you said you were hungry.” Atsumu rolls his eyes. “I don’t mind, eatin’ with friends is better than eatin’ alone.” 

“What a waste of money.” 

“Most people would be touched!” 

“I’m touched that yer willin’ to make bad decisions for me.” Y/N says sarcastically as Atsumu huffs in annoyance, causing her to chuckle. “How about we just get some groceries? Kita-senpai said it was better anyway.” 

“Fine fine, lead the way~” 

* * *

Just as he’s about to dig in, Komori glances up and notices Atsumu entering the cafeteria, quickly waving at him. “Miya! You going to eat dinner? Want to join us?” 

Sakusa scowls at Komori for suggesting such a thing, but keeps quiet as Atsumu walks over to them. 

“Hmm~ I don’t mind.” Atsumu shrugs, ignoring Sakusa. “Lemme get my food first and I’ll come back and join ya.” 

“Take your time~” Komori calls as Atsumu goes to get food, turning to Sakusa. “…Are you seriously just going to ignore him the whole time?” 

“Ignore who?” Sakusa mutters as he turns back to his own food, making Komori sigh. 

“You two ignoring each other’s presence is better than arguing I guess…” 

“I have returned.” Atsumu declares as he sets his tray down. 

“Welcome back~” Komori laughs. “I was surprised when I didn’t see you there for extra practise, did you go somewhere?” 

“Oh ya, I went to get N/N so we could explore Tokyo.” Atsumu explains as they start eating, talking with his mouth full as Sakusa looks away in disgust. “I wanted to go check out Tokyo Skytree but she said it was too far~ We ended up just stayin’ around the area and spent a bunch of time at the arcade.” 

“That sounds fun! Did you win any games at the arcade?” Komori asks. 

“…Yes.” 

“Really?” 

Atsumu avoids eye contact. “…’Kay, _maybe_ N/N beat me in all the games. But I’m totally better than her in volleyball!” 

“I think everyone here’s better than her in volleyball.” Komori laughs. “She doesn’t even play anymore, right?” 

“Yeah, she said she quit as soon as she graduated from middle school, no idea why though.” Atsumu shrugs. “But yeah~ I didn’t stay for extra practise with ya ‘coz I was out with N/N, she usually doesn’t go out much so I thought I’d take the opportunity.” 

“Aww that’s nice, must’ve been fun.” 

“Of course! Hangin’ out with N/N’s always fun~” 

Preparing dinner alone, Y/N enjoys the quiet and tranquil atmosphere of her room, the earlier restlessness from the morning no longer bothering her. Once she’s finished eating and cleaned up, she gets a call from Kita as expected. He’s been consistently checking up on both her and Atsumu every night.

“Hi Kita-senpai.” Y/N greets, smiling as she sits down on her bed. 

_“Good evening, Y/N, I hope yer doin’ well.”_ Kita responds. _“How was your first day settin’ up for yer stall?”_

“It was good~ I’m all prepared and ready for the weekend.” Y/N chuckles. “It was a bit difficult settin’ up by myself, but I think I did a good job.” 

_“I’m glad everything’s goin’ well.”_

“Yeah, I am too.” Y/N smiles softly. “I also had a lot of fun today.” 

_“Oh? I’m glad.”_

“Yeah, I am too.” Y/N chuckles to herself. “I went ‘round Tokyo with Atsumu…” 

* * *

Nervously watching as the attendees pass by her stall, Y/N shyly smiles as she makes eye contact with a few, not sure if she should try initiate conversation with any. For now, she’ll just opt to shyly glance at them, hoping they stop by her table to take a look. She can’t help but feel awkward. 

Sensing someone approach her, Y/N nervously glances to the side and shyly smiles at her as she smiles back. 

“Hi! Your art is so pretty!” The stranger exclaims. “I really love the colours you chose! You’re so good!” 

“Oh… thank you so much…” Y/N says, blushing a bit as she smiles. “That really means a lot…” 

“You’re welcome! Can I buy a few prints?” 

“Of course! Thank you so much!” Y/N responds, happily speaking briefly with the stranger before she leaves to check other stalls. Looking down the direction that she left, Y/N smiles softly as she looks down and plays with her fingers in her lap, feeling giddy and bubbly after the exchange. 

_‘…I did it.’_

* * *

Slipping his jacket on, Atsumu quickly packs his bags as he prepares to leave, having already finished with the days practise. Just as he’s about to go, Komori runs up to him. 

“Not staying for extra practise again? You going to go get L/N-chan?” Komori asks as Atsumu turns to him. 

“Yep~ It’s dangerous to be alone in the city at this time, so I’m gonna go help her pack up since the day’s endin’ soon and we can go on another Tokyo adventure~” Atsumu responds as Komori smiles. 

“Oh that sounds fun! I kind of want to come, but I probably shouldn’t leave Sakusa all alone here.” He chuckles. 

“Bummer, I’ll tell her you said hi.” 

“Thanks! Oh, do you want to take another selfie to show her?” Komori suggests. “I know you’ve probably spammed your friends with them but one more can’t hurt!” 

“Hmm…” Atsumu thinks for a moment. “I got a better idea.” 

Just as Komori’s about to question him, the two of them notice Kageyama, who just entered the training centre for extra practise. 

“Tobio-kun! C’mere!” Atsumu calls as Kageyama notices them and walks over. “Can ya take a picture of us?” 

“Um, okay.” Kageyama nods as Atsumu hands him his phone, looking at it curiously as Atsumu opens the camera app. 

“Komori, gimme yer jacket.” 

“Okay…?” Komori slowly hands his Itachiyama jacket to Atsumu who proceeds to take his shoes off and put Komori’s jacket on. “What are you… oh my gosh… HAHAHAHAHA” 

Komori laughs hysterically as Atsumu smirks. 

“C’mon Komori, pose with me!” 

“Alright alright! Just wait a moment, Kageyama!” 

Minding his own business, Sakusa’s busy with his own extra training, before he hears Atsumu and Komori’s laughter, turning around to look at them. He’s taken aback by what he sees. 

_‘What are those two doing…?’_ Sakusa thinks to himself as he stares at them in mild disgust and concern, not wanting to take part in whatever they’re doing. ‘…At least that’s not my jacket.’ 

“How’d the picture turn out?” Komori asks excitedly as they look through Atsumu’s phone. 

“Perfect! Thanks Tobio-kun.” 

“Thanks Kageyama!” 

“It’s alright, I’ll be going now.” Kageyama nods as he gets back to practise, leaving the two strange second years. 

“I wonder what they’re all going to think when they see this…” Komori snickers. “This is too good…” 

“I know right?” Atsumu smirks. “I’mma send it to the group chat now!” 

**Shut up Atsumu**

_Dual WINNER: [image attachment]_  
_Dual WINNER:_ whaddya guys think?  
_Yes Chef!:_ wat  
_sbeve:_ the  
_Ginny:_ no 

**Boss** removed **Dual WINNER** from the group 

_Boss:_ self care 💖  
_sbeve:_ nice  
_Yes Chef!:_ nice  
_Ginny:_ …removing him for a while won’t be too bad  
_sbeve:_ AYYYYYYY  
_Yes Chef!:_ AYYYYYY  
_Boss:_ hope a while means forever 💖  
_sbeve:_ Y/N those sparkly hearts are killing me  
_Boss:_ just as I intended 💖 

“THEY KICKED ME OUT!” Atsumu screeches as he stares at his phone in betryal, Komori laughing beside him. 

“I’m sure they’ll add you back later!” Komori exclaims, patting Atsumu on the back. 

“What were you two doing.” Sakusa deadpans as he approaches them. 

“Just takin’ a nice picture to send to N/N~” Atsumu shrugs. “I’m gonna go over to the convention now and help her pack up so we can spend a few hours explorin’ more of Tokyo~” 

“Is that so?” Sakusa asks. 

“Yeah~ I mean, we’re both goin’ back to Hyogo tomorrow so might as well take the opportunity to look ‘round Tokyo.” Atsumu says, putting his shoes back on. “So I’m gonna go now.” 

“…Do you know the area well?” Sakusa suddenly asks, getting Atsumu and Komori’s attention as they glance at each other curiously. 

“Huh? ‘Course not, but it’s fine~ N/N’s not really picky on where we go.” Atsumu responds, looking at Sakusa questioningly. “Why? D’ya wanna come or somethin’?” 

Sakusa scowls at the idea, causing Komori to laugh nervously. 

“Sakusa doesn’t really like going outside… He generally prefers to stay indoors to stay safe and clean. It’s too dirty for him outside.” Komori explains as Sakusa continues to scowl at Atsumu, causing him to smirk. 

“Oh is that so? Guess the big city can be pretty scary for some people.” Atsumu taunts. “Would probably be better to stay safe and protected here~ you never know what kind of scary things could happen in the outside world.” 

Komori nervously glances between Atsumu and Sakusa, not knowing if he should intervene. 

“Well, you stay nice and protected here, Sakusa, the real world might be too dangerous for you.” Atsumu smirks as he slips his bag on. “I’m gonna be goin’ now, shame that yer scared. But oh well~ See ya later-” 

“I’ll come.” Sakusa says, shocking the two of them as he stares directly into Atsumu’s eyes. 

“…Huh?” 

“I said I’ll come.” Sakusa repeats. “Komori, let’s go.” 

“Huh?? Are you sure you’re Sakusa??” Komori asks as he stares at Sakusa, not believing his ears. 

“Yes, so are we going or not?” Sakusa deadpans as they two of them look at him incredulously. 

Glancing at Komori, who seems equally confused, Atsumu turns back to Sakusa, who hasn’t broken eye contact with him ever since he said he’d come. “…We’ll be goin’ to a lot of crowded areas…” Atsumu says slowly. 

“I’m aware. This is Tokyo afterall.” 

“It most likely won’t be clean…” He continues. 

“I know.” 

“…Are’ya sure you wanna come?” Atsumu asks again, still doubting his ears. 

“Yes. Are you done asking questions, Miya?” Sakusa asks, staring boredly at the two of them as they glance to each other once again. After a few moments, Atsumu groans. 

“Argh, fine. I only have one convention pass by the way, so you two will hafta wait outside the convention centre while I get her.” Atsumu says after a moment. 

“That’s fine.” Sakusa shrugs. “Let Komori and I go back to our room to get our things.” 

“What things d’ya need??” Atsumu asks in exasperation, following them to their dorm room. 

“A face mask.” Sakusa deadpans. 

“I can’t believe this is happening…” Komori whispers to Atsumu as they follow behind Sakusa. “He hates going outside… He avoids it at all cost… I’m so confused…” 

“Maybe I riled him up too much…?” Atsumu asks, equally confused. 

“Sakusa’s a prideful guy, so maybe…” Komori mutters, flinching when Sakusa turns around to face them with dead eyes. 

“Are you two done talking about me when I’m right here?” 

“Nope, I’m never done talkin’.” Atsumu shrugs as Komori facepalms. 

“I’m well aware.” Sakusa mutters, opening his dorm room and going in with Komori. “Stay outside our room.” He deadpans, shutting the door in Atsumu’s face. 

“Oi! Rude!” Atsumu huffs, rolling his eyes as he waits in the hallway. “I can’t believe Sakusa’s comin’ with us… Argh, I hate this!” Atsumu continues to grumble under his breath as he starts pacing around. “I mean, maybe he’s gonna take a while to pack his things… I could just leave the two of them behind and go get N/N by myself… Yeah that’s a great idea! No need to wait for them!” 

“Are you done planning your failure of an escape?” Sakusa asks as Atsumu yelps, jumping up in shock as he turns around to see Sakusa and Komori already waiting and ready for him. 

“…Y’know Sakusa, it’s pretty dirty outside…” Atsumu says slowly as Sakusa rolls his eyes. 

“You’re not going to change my mind, Miya. Are we going to go or not?” 

“Argh, why d’ya hafta come??” Atsumu complains. “I don’t mind Komori but you?? Why d’ya even wanna come anyway??” 

“Asking the real questions now.” Komori mutters under his breath as he curiously turns to Sakusa. 

“Because you don’t want me there.” Sakusa deadpans. “Are we going to spend all our time arguing or are we going to go get L/N?” 

“You’re lucky that I like N/N more than I hate you.” Atsumu mutters under his breath as he sighs. “Argh fine, let’s go.” 

“This’ll be fun. What could go wrong.” Komori mumbles, following Atsumu and Sakusa as they leave the training centre to go get Y/N. “…I think I just jinxed it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oya? 👀
> 
> I wonder how this'll go... :)
> 
> Also, I'm sure you're all wondering what that picture Atsumu and Komori took was :)
> 
> I have drawn it for you all as a gift~ =w= XD Honestly I love how this turned out, and I probably spent too much time on it but oh well :D I originally didn't draw Sakusa but I added him in at the end because why not O3O
> 
> You're probably wondering why this chapter came out so quickly~ =w= I did my best to write this chapter and draw that pic as quickly as possible because I wanted to get it out around the time the Haikyuu manga usually releases a new chapter :'D To provide a small piece of comfort while we suffer from withdrawal symptoms... But as usual, it took longer than expected so I'm a few hours late :D 
> 
> Anyway! About the chapter! What do you guys think? :D Quite a few things happening huh OuO 
> 
> Lowkey want to hear your theories about what you think will happen in the next chapter so don't be shy to tell me =w=
> 
> Thanks for reading~ I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter! A very eventful chapter indeed! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	36. It'll soon be Spring

“We needa get outta here!” Atsumu whispers as he glances around in paranoia. 

“What? Why?” Y/N asks, raising her eyebrow at him as she finishes packing up. “What didja do?” 

“I didn’t do anythin’! But we needa escape!” Atsumu insists, still looking around. “Is there a back entrance we can escape to? Or a window we can jump out of??” 

“What didja do?” Y/N repeats as Atsumu groans. 

“I didn’t do anythin’! Just trust me! We needa escape!” 

“Why??” Y/N asks in exasperation, not understanding his panic as she sighs. “There’s no other way to leave that I’m aware of, so we’ll have to go out the normal way.” 

“Oh no.” Atsumu murmurs in distress as she rolls her eyes. 

“Are’ya at least gonna tell me what’s wrong?” She deadpans as Atsumu sighs. 

“…You’re about to see…” 

Raising her eyebrow at this, Y/N slips her backpack on as they very slowly walk towards the entrance. Atsumu’s apprehension is contagious though, and she finds herself nervously glancing around in anticipation. Sensing her hesitation, Atsumu moves slightly ahead of her as if to shield her from something. Just as she’s about to ask him one more time, Y/N spots them. 

Sakusa and Komori stand idly near the entrance as they wait, chatting quietly amongst themselves as if they were completely unaware of all the attention they were drawing. Taken aback, Y/N halts in her steps as she instinctively grabs Atsumu’s arm and pulls him down to her level. 

“What are they doin’ here??” She whispers in his ear. 

“This is why I said we needa escape!” Atsumu whispers back as they openly stare at the two tall Itachiyama students. “They wanted to come!” 

“Why??” 

“I don’t know!” 

“I needa get outta here.” Y/N mumbles to herself as she continues staring at them. 

“D’ya think we can run away before they notice??” 

“Of course not! Your piss yellow hair stands out too much!” 

“Oi! Don’t insult my-!” 

Before Atsumu can finish his sentence, both Sakusa and Komori glance at the two of them, making Y/N flinch as she instinctively hides behind Atsumu, suddenly feeling shy. She was not mentally prepared for this. 

“Did they see me…?” 

“No, of course not.” Atsumu mutters sarcastically. “Of course they saw you!” 

“Distract them while I run.” 

“D’ya really think you can outrun them?” Atsumu deadpans. 

“…I don’t like it when you use logic.” Y/N mutters as Atsumu rolls his eyes and approaches them, Y/N following closely behind as she peeks out from his side, nerves getting the best of her. 

Atsumu sighs as he stands in front of Sakusa and Komori with a blank look on his face, Y/N still discreetly hiding behind him. “Alright, where d’ya wanna take us.” 

“Wait, why are you hiding, L/N-chan?” Komori laughs as Y/N awkwardly comes out from behind Atsumu. “We’ve met before! It’s not like this is your first time meeting us!” 

“Ehh, well… I guess I’m just… surprised by yer appearance…?” Y/N says hesitantly as she glances around nervously, feeling their eyes burning into her as they stare. 

“Still, we’ve all been talking recently~ Have you always been this shy? You’re not this shy when you talk to me or Sakusa on the phone.” 

“Oi, talkin’ on the phone and meeting in person is completely different.” Atsumu cuts in as he rolls his eyes. “Anyway, where d’ya suggest we go?” 

“Oh, are they gonna take us ‘round Tokyo?” Y/N asks in interest as she perks up. 

“Well, we mainly came along just because wanted to.” Komori chuckles nervously. “To be honest, Sakusa doesn’t really know the area that well either… Since he generally stays at home most of the time.” 

“So… technically you’re showin’ all three of us around Tokyo.” Y/N says slowly as Komori sheepishly grins. 

“What the heck? Why’d you ask me if I knew the area well when you don’t??” Atsumu groans as Sakusa rolls his eyes. 

“I never said anything about knowing the area well, I just asked if you did.” He mutters. “Plus, I know the area a lot better than you do.” 

“He’s got you there, Atsumu.” Y/N smirks as Atsumu huffs indignantly. 

“Well~ I’m open to suggestions if there are places you guys want to go.” Komori says cheerfully as they all turn to him. “Miya? Any ideas?” 

“Uhh… movies?” Atsumu tilts his head as he tries to think. “I usually go out to the movies with ‘Samu and Aran-kun.” 

“Ah, Sakusa doesn’t really like going to the cinema.” Komori laughs. “It can be dirty and you never know who sat in the chairs before you got there.” 

Atsumu rubs his chin in thought as he tries to think of something else. “Hmm… Karaoke? It’s on my list of things I wanna do with my teammates when we have time, so maybe?” 

“Isn’t that potentially dirty too?” Y/N asks as she thinks. “Since you never know who’s held the microphone before… or breathed into it…” 

“That’s true.” Sakusa mutters as Atsumu tries to think of something else. 

“I don’t know, bowling??” 

“That’s dirty as well.” Komori sighs as he facepalms. “This is why Kiyoomi doesn’t go out much, there’s nothing he feels safe doing.” 

“Argh! Why are’ya so hard to work with??” Atsumu complains. “Can’tcha just wear gloves or somethin’ when we go bowling??” 

The three of them blink in surprise as they make eye contact with each other. They never expected Atsumu to come up with a good solution, but they’d never want to admit he did, so they choose to ignore his suggestion. 

“Anyway, any other ideas?” Y/N asks as she turns to Komori. 

“Hmm… no contact activities…” Komori thinks to himself. “I mean, ice skating doesn’t have much contact, as long as you don’t fall I guess.” 

“Ohh, that’s a good idea.” Atsumu agrees as he turns to Sakusa. “Is that good enough for you?” 

“Ehh… actually… I probably can’t go ice skating…” Y/N says meekly as she plays with her fingers. “It’s not safe… and my parents always tell me that I’ll slip on the ice and someone will skate over my hands and chop off my fingers.” 

The three boys look mildly disturbed at her statement as Komori nervously chuckles. “That is… oddly gory and specific…” 

“Well, is there anywhere you want to go, L/N?” Sakusa asks. 

Y/N tilts her head to the side as she thinks for a moment. “Well… generally I just go to the arcade with Atsumu and stuff, but I guess it might be a bit dirty for you.” She responds as Atsumu sighs. 

“Guess we’ll all just die then.” 

“How ‘bout you take one for the team?” Y/N suggests as she smirks. 

“I’m starting to draw blank on potential activities too.” Komori sighs as he facepalms. “Why is this so hard?” 

“We’ll probably just use up all the time discussin’ what we can do rather than doin’ anything.” Y/N shrugs. “There isn’t much we can do as a group unless we go sight seeing or something.” 

“There isn’t much we can do as a group because we have Mr Germaphobe here.” Atsumu mutters as he rolls his eyes. “Can’t we just ditch him somewhere and go do something else?” 

“Wait, L/N-chan might be onto something when she suggested sight seeing.” Komori says, ignoring Atsumu. “Are there any Tokyo spots you two want to see?” 

“I wanted to go to Tokyo Skytree, but N/N said it’s too far.” Atsumu shrugs. 

“Hmm… I kinda want to go to Ueno Park, but that’s also probably too far as well.” Y/N sighs. “This is a lot more difficult than I initially thought…” 

“It wouldn’t be this difficult if _someone_ wasn’t here.” Atsumu mutters as Sakusa scowls at him. 

“I don’t mind going to the arcade. That’s not too far and it shouldn’t be too bad. We can go there.” Sakusa says as they all turn to him. “There’s also parks around the area, although they’re not Ueno Park, they’re still good.” 

“Wait, yer okay with goin’ to the arcade??” Atsumu asks in disbelief. 

“No, I simply choose to suffer.” Sakusa deadpans sarcastically as Komori snickers to himself. 

“Well… if yer okay with it…” Y/N says slowly as Sakusa nods. 

“It’s alright, I will just have to wash my hands thoroughly afterwards.” Sakusa sighs as he turns to Komori. “Are you okay with this?” 

“I’m okay with anything to be honest.” Komori laughs as he starts leading them to the arcade. “Alright, let’s go!” 

Following after Komori, Atsumu leans down to whisper to Y/N. “…Has Sakusa ever even been to an arcade…?” 

“Why are’ya askin’ me…? He’s right there.” Y/N whispers back. 

“Can’ya ask him?” 

“I can.” Y/N whispers. “But I won’t.” 

“Why not??” 

“Because I can hear you.” Sakusa deadpans as Atsumu shrieks, turning around to see Sakusa walking behind them with a dead face. “To answer your question, yes I have.” 

“Oh really? What games d’ya like playin’, Sakusa?” Y/N asks in interest as Sakusa thinks for a moment. 

“…I tend to enjoy winning prizes that catch my interest…” Sakusa mumbles as he avoids eye contact, making Komori laugh as he turns around. 

“He means, he likes winning cute plushies~” Komori snickers as Sakusa glares at him. “Don’t be like that Kiyoomi~ There’s nothing wrong with liking cute things!” 

“Shut up.” 

“You like plushies too?” Y/N asks in excitement as he turns to her and blinks in surprise. “I don’t really play but I like looking at the plushies in the crane games, arcade plushies are so cute!” 

“…Yeah, cute.” Sakusa mutters before he turns to glare at Komori, who smirks at him in return. 

“Kiyoomi here has his own collection back at home.” Komori adds cheerfully, always happy to reveal Sakusa’s secrets. “He always takes proper care of all of them to make sure they don’t get dirty or collect dust!” 

“No way, really??” Atsumu asks as Komori nods, ignoring Sakusa’s death glare. 

“Yep~! I’ve seen them! There’s so many!” Komori exclaims as he starts chatting with Atsumu, purposely ignoring Sakusa who scowls at his back. 

Sakusa sighs to himself as he glances to the side, noticing Y/N as she smiles at him. “What is it?” 

“Nothing, I just think it’s cute that you like collecting plushies~” Y/N smirks as he rolls his eyes. 

“Whatever.” 

“Wow, what a tsundere.” 

Atsumu sweat drops as he sighs, placing his hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “How many times are’ya gonna stare at it? Why don’t you try playing?” 

“…My chances aren’t good, I’m just gonna lose money.” Y/N sighs in defeat as she pouts. “Damn… why isn’t Rintarou here? He’s so good at winnin’ these…” 

“Oh, I recognise this character!” Komori exclaims as he looks at the plushie was well. “Uhh... What’s it called again?” 

“Pompompurin.” Sakusa says as Komori nods. 

“Ohh yeah, that one! It’s super cute.” 

“I know right… It’s so cute.” Y/N mutters to herself as she faceplants into Atsumu’s shoulder. “But alas, some things aren’t meant to be…” 

“Yer bein’ dramatic again.” Atsumu deadpans. 

“Shut it, I don’t wanna hear that from you.” 

Komori chuckles as he shakes his head. “Why don’t we all take turns trying to win it? I’m sure it won’t be that hard.” 

“Komori-kun, you don’t understand.” Y/N sighs as she looks at the floor sadly. “I’ve tried to win Pompompurin plushies so many times… but I fail every time… I’ve gone to so many different arcades, it’s not even funny. I think he just hates me.” 

“Pompompurin doesn’t hate anyone, maybe you’ve just been unlucky.” Sakusa says. “I don’t mind playing, you three can go first.” 

Slipping 500 yen into the machine for three tries, Komori smiles. “Alright, I’ll go first!” 

Positioning the claw above the plushie, Komori concentrates as he tries to view the machine from different angles, making small adjustments to the positioning. Sakusa and Y/N watch him closely and mentally judge his techniques, while Atsumu verbally expresses his thoughts. 

“Nah Komori! It needs to be to the left! Wait no, right! Uhh… that way?” 

“Can you please be quiet, Miya?” Komori complains. “Argh whatever.” 

Pushing the button, the four of them wait in anticipation as they watch the claw slowly move down, grabbing the plushie slightly before dropping it back down. They all sigh, it’s not like they expected to win it on the first try anyway. 

“Ah well~ who’s next?” Komori asks as he turns around. Instantly, Atsumu points to Y/N, making her roll her eyes as she sighs. 

“I’m not gonna win, but oh well.” 

“Don’t be so negative, N/N~ You got this!” 

“I’m not negative, I’m just realistic.” Y/N deadpans. 

Positioning the claw above the plushie, Y/N concentrates as she views the claw from different angles, trying to assess the likelihood of being successful. But once again, Atsumu can’t stop talking. 

“Nah nah, you needa move it a bit more to the right, N/N! To the right!” Atsumu insists. “Maybe a bit further back? Actually no, bring it closer! And-!” 

“Atsumu, shut up.” Y/N groans. “It’s my turn, can’tcha worry about your own turn??” 

“I’m just providin’ a new perspective!” Atsumu says, circulating around the machine. “Y’know, from above.” 

“…Are you calling me short??” 

“Maybe now’s not a good time to fight.” Komori cuts in sheepishly, but he gets ignored. 

“‘Kay, I _didn’t_ say you were short.” Atsumu states, backing away slightly as Y/N glares at him. “But I _am_ taller than you, y’know?” 

“Says the one who’s shorter than his twin brother.” Y/N mutters. 

“Oi!” 

_Beep!_

Everyone’s eyes snap back to the crane game as the claw moves down towards the plushie. 

“Oh, oops.” 

“Wait, why’s it goin’ down already?” Atsumu asks. 

“Time limit.” Sakusa mutters, watching as they fail to win the plushie once again. 

Staring at the machine for a few moments, Y/N turns to Atsumu with dead eyes. “That’s your fault.” 

Atsumu gasps in offence. “My fault?? No it’s not!” 

“Oh please, when is it ever not yer fault?” Y/N deadpans as Komori and Sakusa smirk. 

“Pfft-! Well, it’s your turn now, Miya.” Komori says cheerfully, walking over to stand between Atsumu and Y/N to make sure they don’t fight. “Go ahead! We’re rooting for you!” 

Moving the claw around for his turn, Atsumu sticks his tongue out as he concentrates, trying to position it correctly. Trying to look at it from different angles, Atsumu moves around in an exaggerated manner as he tries to determine the perfect place to move the claw. 

“Hmm… N/N, whaddya think-” 

Atsumu accidentally presses the button before he can finish asking his question, staring in despair as the claw moves down, missing the plushie. 

“NOOO!!” Atsumu holds his head in his hands as he crumbles to the floor in self-pity. The other three students watch him and do their best not to laugh. Atsumu is not the brightest. 

“…Don’t mind.” Y/N smirks as she tries to hold in her laughter, patting him on the back. “…Could’ve happened to anyone.” 

Atsumu continues to sulk as she keeps patting him on the back. After a few moments, Atsumu abruptly stands up and acts as if nothing happened. “I’m over it. It’s yer turn now, Sakusa.” 

Komori blinks in surprise at Atsumu’s sudden mood change, taken aback as he turns to Y/N questioningly. She just waves her hand to dismiss it, some things are better off not understanding. 

Sighing to himself, Sakusa walks up to the machine and slips in 500 yen for his turn, silently positioning the claw carefully before pressing the button. 

He wins the plushie on his first try. 

“THE HELL?!” Atsumu screeches as Komori and Y/N gasp in delight. 

“Nice job Sakusa! How are you so good??” Komori asks excitedly, patting Sakusa on the back as Y/N claps her hands together in excitement. 

“Congrats on winnin’ Pompompurin!” She exclaims smiling enthusiastically as he nods slightly. 

“I’m just lucky.” He mutters, bending down to collect the plushie before handing it to her. “Here.” 

“Wait what.” 

“You can have it. You want it, right?” He asks, still holding it out to her as an arcade worker goes to take another plushie down, placing it for their next two tries. 

“I mean… I do but like…” Y/N smiles sheepishly as she refuses. “You won it, so it’s yours. I’d feel bad if I took it.” 

“Just take it.” Sakusa says again as Komori and Atsumu watch their back and forth polite fight. “I already have enough.” 

“Still, you won it. I can’t take it.” Y/N repeats, stepping back slightly as she smiles apologetically. 

“Just give up, Sakusa.” Atsumu cuts in. “It’s impossible to convince N/N when she’s made up her mind.” 

Sighing to himself, Sakusa retracts the plushie and turns to Komori. “Komori, hold this for me.” 

“Alright?” Komori takes the plushie as Sakusa turns back to the crane game, using his remaining two turns to try and win another plushie. 

He wins again on his final try. 

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Atsumu shrieks again, as he staggers back. “HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! STAND BACK N/N! HE’S GOT SOME WEIRD KIND OF CURSE OR SOMETHIN’!” 

“Some people are just luckier than others, Miya.” Sakusa deadpans as he rolls his eyes, collecting his second plushie and handing it to Y/N again. “Here.” 

“I can’t accept this…” Y/N mutters, still in shock that he managed to win two times with only three tries. 

“Why not?” 

“I didn’t win it… It doesn’t feel right to just take yer prize.” Y/N says as Sakusa tilts his head to the side, gesturing to the two identical plushies. 

“What am I going to do with two of the same plushies then?” 

“…Sell it?” 

“Pfft-!” Komori snorts as he covers his mouth, hiding his snickers as he continues watching, he’s having the time of his life. 

Sakusa sighs at this. “No. Just take it, I wasn’t planning on keeping it anyway.” 

“…At least let me pay you back then.” Y/N insists as Sakusa shakes his head. 

“The whole point of a gift is that I don’t expect anything in return.” 

“Wait, you’re giving her a gift??” Komori suddenly asks, walking up to Sakusa to complain. “My birthday was four months ago and you didn’t get me anything!” 

“I cleaned up your room that day.” Sakusa mutters, rolling his eyes as Komori groans. 

“You clean every day!” 

“That’s part of the gift too.” Sakusa states matter-of-factly. 

“What? That’s not fair!” Komori groans as Sakusa shrugs in disinterest. 

“Nothing in life is fair. I shouldn’t have to clean your room.” 

Komori shakes his head in exasperation as he pats Sakusa’s shoulder. “Kiyoomi, Kiyoomi, Kiyoomi. It’s not my room, it’s _our_ room. You’re cleaning _our_ room.” 

“Don’t touch me.” 

“Why don’t you just, not clean the room?” Atsumu asks as they all turn to him in disbelief. 

“Is what Atsumu did not say, please ignore that.” Y/N interrupts, whacking his arm as she scowls at Atsumu. 

“…Only if you take Pompompurin.” Sakusa says as Y/N sighs in exasperation. 

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m bein’ taken advantage of. Using my friends against me, huh? How does it feel to forcefully give me gifts against my will?” Y/N smirks as she looks at him. 

“I do not feel.” 

Komori fake-coughs at that. “Liar.” 

“Just take the plushie.” Sakusa says once again. “I have no use for two, and I never intended on keeping one anyway…” 

Y/N sighs in defeat as she smiles. “Fine, you win. Thanks… Sakusa.” She mutters as she takes the Pompompurin plushie, smiling happily as she hugs it. 

“It’s alright.” Sakusa nods before smirking slightly. “…I’m used to winning against Inarizaki students anyway.” 

“WOW. YOU REALLY WENT THERE.” Atsumu says as Komori laughs nervously, trying to stop him back from attacking Sakusa. 

“Ah- Miya! Don’t take it personally! Sakusa didn’t mean it like that!” Komori exclaims as he holds him back. 

“No, I did mean it like that.” 

“Sakusa!” Komori groans. “You’re not helping!” 

Y/N sighs in defeat as she chuckles. “Alright, I can’t say you’re wrong, ‘coz yer not. But don’t get used to it. Mark my words, Itachiyama’s gonna fall at Spring High.” 

“We’ll see about that.” Sakusa smirks competitively. 

* * *

Strolling through the park, Sakusa and Komori sweat drop as they watch Y/N and Atsumu excitedly take pictures of literally anything at multiple angles. You can really tell that they’re not from Tokyo. 

Thankfully, there aren’t too many other people in the park with them, so they don’t need to worry too much about bothering anyone. 

“Ohh! Take a picture of me on the bridge N/N!” Atsumu cheers as he runs over to the bridge. Y/N rolls her eyes as she shakes her head at his enthusiasm. 

“Taking a picture for your only fan?” Y/N asks as he raises his eyebrow. 

“Who’s my only fan?” 

“You.” 

“Oi! I’ve got plenty of fans!” Atsumu huffs as she smirks at him. 

“Oh please~ not even your mother’s your fan.” 

“Neither is yours.” Atsumu mutters, before slapping his hand over his mouth once he realises what he said, instantly turning to her with wide eyes. “I- I didn’t mean that!” 

Y/N lets out a long sigh as she shakes her head, walking up to him and patting him on the back. “It’s alright, you’re not wrong.” 

“I really didn’t mean it Y/N, honest.” Atsumu insists sincerely. “I’m really sorry.” 

“It’s alright, it’s no big deal anyway.” Y/N chuckles as she smiles lightly, she turns to look at Sakusa and Komori. “How ‘bout the four of us take a picture here? May as well, for the memories and all that sentimental stuff.” 

“I don’t mind!” Komori cheers as Sakusa shrugs. 

“Sure.” 

Looking around, Y/N perks up as she spots a small group of girls chatting amongst themselves as they also stroll through the park. She nudges Atsumu and nods towards them. “Atsumu, go use yer charms and ask them to take the picture for us.” 

Atsumu smirks at this as he takes her phone and walks over to them. “Alright alright, I’ll be back~” 

“What charms?” Sakusa deadpans as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“I hate to admit it, but Atsumu’s very charismatic and… persuasive.” Y/N mutters as she sighs, shaking her head as the girls agree to help Atsumu. “But don’t worry, you’re very charming too.” 

Sakusa blinks in surprise at the sudden compliment, taken aback. “…You are too.” 

“I know.” Y/N smirks at him as she turns away to join Atsumu and Komori for the group picture, Sakusa following behind. 

“I’ll take a few pictures so you can choose which ones you like best!” The girl with her phone says, smiling cheerfully at them as Y/N smiles in response. 

“Thank you so much!” 

“Here you go! I hope they’re alright.” 

Y/N takes her phone from the girl and glances at the pictures, smiling politely in response. “Thank you so much.” 

“It’s alright! I’m happy to help!” 

As the group of girls turn to leave, Y/N looks through the photos more closely, smiling subconsciously as she looks at them. They turned out really well. 

“Can I see??” Atsumu asks enthusiastically as he looks over her shoulder, nodding in approval. “I look good as always~” 

“Yer as modest as always too.” Y/N adds sarcastically as he smirks and shrugs. 

“Send ‘em to me later~” 

“Oh, send them to me too, L/N-chan!” Komori adds cheerfully. 

“Alright, I’ll just ‘em to all of ya.” Y/N chuckles as they continue down the path, enjoying the light-hearted atmosphere as she looks around and appreciates all the parts of the park. It’s not like Hyogo doesn’t have beautiful parks, because it does, but there’s a feeling of something fresh and new in the air, perhaps it’s because of the unfamiliarity of Tokyo. 

“L/N.” Sakusa starts as she glances at him, tilting her head questioningly. “Can I look at the pictures?” 

“Oh yeah, of course.” Y/N smiles as she takes her phone out again. 

“Thanks.” 

Handing her phone to him, Sakusa’s fingers accidentally brush against hers as he takes it. Y/N flinches back in shock and immediately pulls her hand away. 

“I’m so sorry!” Y/N instantly apologises as she grimaces, taking a few steps back. 

“…It’s alright. It was an accident.” Sakusa mutters as Y/N shakes her head. 

“No, I know you really don’t like touchin’ people, so I’m really sorry.” 

“You don’t need to apologise. It’s alright.” Sakusa repeats before turning his eyes to the phone, looking at the pictures. “The pictures turned out well.” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah they did.” Y/N nods in agreement as she looks at them too. “I’ll send ‘em to ya later.” 

“Thank you.” Sakusa nods, handing her phone back to her as she takes extra care to make sure she doesn’t touch him out of respect for his boundaries. 

“Boo!” 

Sakusa and Y/N don’t even flinch as they turn around to look at Atsumu, who scowls at them in response. 

“How did you two not even react?? Are you robots??” Atsumu groans as they roll their eyes. 

“We did react, we turned around.” Y/N deadpans as Atsumu huffs, muttering under his breath for his failure of a surprise. 

“Told you they wouldn’t be affected.” Komori laughs as he pats Atsumu on the back. “Don’t worry, Miya. Maybe you’ll get them next time!” 

“Haha, no.” Y/N says as Atsumu groans. 

“Argh, whatever. We needa get back to the training centre in an hour or so, wanna leave and go shoppin’ for your dinner?” Atsumu asks as Y/N shrugs. 

“Sure, if everyone else’s fine with that.” 

“No complaints~” Komori chimes as Sakusa shrugs. “What are you planning on eating for dinner, L/N-chan?” 

“Hmm… I made katsudon last night and the night before, so maybe I’ll change things up and eat ramen tonight.” Y/N says as Atsumu and Komori nod in agreement. 

“Sounds good!” 

Y/N smiles as they all head towards the grocery store, having enjoyed spending the past few hours with the group. Atsumu talks enthusiastically about his home life with Osamu and the various pranks they’ve pulled on each other as Komori laughs, making Y/N shake her head in exasperation. She’s all too familiar with the twins and their pranks. 

Glancing up at Sakusa, he glances back down at her before turning away to face forward. “Be sure to cook vegetables with your meal, they’ll be good for you.” 

Y/N pauses slightly in her step before resuming. She sighs as she pouts. 

“…I don’t like vegetables.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O3O  
> So how we feeling? :D
> 
> This chapter took a little longer to write than I intended since I had a bit of trouble~ I also started uni again last week so I've been extra busy and sleep deprived which is exactly what I need right now 🤩🤩 I also started two major personal projects so haha what is sleep? OuO 
> 
> So~ what do you guys think about the chapter? :D I hope you enjoyed it~ there are a few moments that I couldn't just sit down and write XD I had to keep getting up to calm myself before resuming =w= 
> 
> Anyway~ this isn't really related to the chapter but I did a comparison with the first Sakusa I ever drew and the most recent one XD
> 
> Tada! :D XDDD Honestly this is so hilarious to me XD I couldn't stop laughing when I made the comparison omg XD The difference is so huge I- akwjdhakjhdsa
> 
> That being said! Next chapter is the last chapter for the training camp arc, then it's back to Hyogo before Spring High... We are finally approaching the destined Spring High... I can't wait :)
> 
> ~~~  
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	37. Solitude

“Thank you so much!” Y/N smiles at the kind customer before waving them goodbye. Glancing around, Y/N makes sure she’s in the clear before quickly eating another chip. 

Having a stall at a convention, you realise that you don’t have any time to rest or eat. Eating would potentially be awkward or make you seem busy and unapproachable, so there are very few times where eating is possible when you’re alone. Meals are also difficult to eat, so artists tend to stick to small snacks to get them through the day. 

Not wanting to get her fingers dirty, Y/N proceeds to (very slowly) eat the hot chips with chopsticks, she’ll probably only eat one carton of chips for the whole day. It’s not healthy, but there aren’t many other options when you’re alone. 

Absentmindedly, Y/N smiles politely at all the strangers that pass by, lost in thought as she reflects over her days in Tokyo. 

Travelling with Atsumu isn’t anything new, since the team generally travels together for training and matches, so she’s thankful that she let him convince her to travel early. It’s always nice travelling with people you trust. 

Meeting Kageyama Tobio so soon wasn’t something she expected either, she knew she’d meet him eventually at Spring High, so it was a surprise, a pleasant surprise. The awkward, starry-eyed first year setter was an obvious contrast to the confident and flashy Atsumu, yet had so many similarities at the same time. It’ll be interesting to watch Kageyama’s setting style, and it’d be nice if Inarizaki got the opportunity to play against Karasuno. 

Setting up her stall all alone, the reality of her chosen path suddenly dawned on her. The hours of loneliness, the isolation. Choosing the path less travelled, is choosing to take the ultimate risk, and knowing that that in the end, regardless of how hard you try, you still might be left with nothing. 

Maybe it was this realisation that plagued her mind throughout the day, or perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of being in an unknown environment and adjusting by herself, but it was a gloomy day. 

Until Atsumu came, and reminded her that she wasn’t alone, not completely anyway. Even though one day their paths will diverge, when they graduate and become adults. When there’s no longer a reason to meet, other than to see each other. Hopefully, once that time comes, they’ll still be friends, and eagerly look forward to seeing each other again. 

Finally running her stall was an amazing experience. The lovely people she met, the kindness they showed her, it was truly wonderful. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, how many people would come, how many people would buy. Were there more people than she initially thought? Were there less? Who’s to know, but who’s to care? At the end of the day, the numbers don’t really matter, because there’s so much more than that. She’s grateful for the experience, and she appreciates it all. The opportunities that come far and few between, she’ll latch onto them, and do whatever it takes to never let go. 

And then there was the surprise, Sakusa and Komori. They were just opponents over the net, people she had only met briefly in the past, but somehow their relationships blossomed, Sakusa more so than Komori. How did it happen? Who’s to know. Y/N smiles softly as she glances down at the plushie on her lap, the gift that he so graciously gave to her. She’ll cherish it for a long time. 

Then of course, there were the numerous the phone calls with Kita. Being the kind senior he is, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he’d check on both Y/N and Atsumu every day to ensure that they were doing well and taking care of themselves. But growing up as someone who wasn’t used to being so sincerely cared for, it was a surprise. 

Glancing up, Y/N smiles politely at the stranger in front of her as she snaps out of her thoughts. 

“Hi, how can I help you?” 

The convention’s over now, and Y/N finds herself sighing in relief. Finally packing everything away, she glances around the hall and watches as it slowly becomes emptier and emptier. 

Standing around, Y/N plays with her Pompompurin plushie as she waits, until she realises. 

“Oh wait, I forgot that Atsumu wasn’t picking me up today.” 

* * *

Atsumu glances around the gym restlessly as he paces, alerting Komori with his strange behaviour. They’re currently on water break, and will soon resume practise before being dismissed. 

“Miya? What’s wrong?” Komori asks curiously as he approaches him, getting Atsumu to stop pacing. 

“It’s so weird.” Atsumu says, looking deep in thought as Komori tilts his head in confusion. 

“What’s weird?” 

Atsumu sighs to himself. “I’m used to bein’ with N/N around this time, I hope she’s okay.” 

“Great job training at a training camp in an unfamiliar gym with players you aren’t used to.” Coach Hibarida says as he looks at all the students. “I know that this was to get you started on your youth team activities, so there was a lot of fumbling and feeling things out. But I hope you don’t think of the practise you’ve done here as different from the practises you’ll be doing with your teams when you get back. It’ll be great if we can all improve.” 

Smiling at the students, he encourages them one last time. “Let’s all keep doing our best. That’s all.” 

“Thank you very much!” 

“Tobio-kun, see you again at the Spring Tournament.” Atsumu smiles as he waves at Kageyama. 

“Yeah.” Kageyama responds simply as Atsumu walks towards the entrance, smiling widely when he spots her. 

“N/N!” Atsumu calls as she glances up at him, putting her phone back in her pocket as she smirks. 

“Hey Osamu, you look worse today.” 

“Oi! You haven’t seen me all day and the first thing you do is bully me??” Atsumu complains as she chuckles and rolls her eyes. 

“You say that like it’s not what I usually do.” She teases before noticing Sakusa and Komori also leave the building. “Ah, Sakusa, Komori, nice to see ya again.” 

“L/N-chan, hey!” Komori greets as he waves at her, Sakusa nodding in acknowledgement. “Fancy seeing you here!” 

“Yep~ someone here’s gotta do the babysitting.” She chuckles as Atsumu gasps in offence. 

“Oi! Keep it up and I won’t be helping ya carry yer suitcases to the station!” 

“It’s part of your volleyball training, manager’s orders.” Y/N says simply as she shrugs, noticing Hoshiumi as he also leaves the building. “Oh, you’re Hoshiumi Kourai, right? I saw your performance at Interhigh, you’re really an amazin’ player.” 

“Thanks.” Hoshiumi responds, raising his eyebrow at her. “You’re the Inarizaki manager, right?” 

“Ah, yeah I am.” Y/N chuckles, refraining from adding ‘unfortunately’. “Atsumu told me that he was your roommate for the training camp, I’m so sorry.” 

“Hey!” Atsumu cuts in as he scowls. 

“Haha! It wasn’t too bad, living with my brother is wayyy worse.” Hoshiumi laughs before he turns away. “Anyway, I need to go now. See you all at Spring High.” 

“Later.” They respond as they wave him goodbye. 

Sighing to herself, Y/N’s also about to tell Atsumu that they need to go, before she notices another person leave the building. 

“Oh, Tobio!” 

Atsumu and Sakusa do a double take as Y/N walks over to greet the first year, shocked that she’d call him by his first name. 

“Ah, Y/N-san.” Kageyama responds as he nods slightly. 

_‘They’re both on first name basis??’_ Atsumu and Sakusa think in shock, glancing back and forth between the two. Nothing prepared them for this interaction. 

“How was yer trainin’ camp, Tobio? Didja have fun?” Y/N asks, unaware of the internal meltdowns happening behind her, Komori rolls his eyes and facepalms at the two idiots, they’re hopeless. 

“Yes, I had fun. I learnt a lot.” Kageyama says as he nods. “The floors aren’t wooden.” 

“I know right?” Y/N smiles before noticing another person leave the building, nodding at them slightly. “Hello.” 

“H-hi…” Chigaya meekly responds as he starts to sweat. _‘That’s the famous Inarizaki manager…! And she’s surrounded by all the powerhouse players! I’m going to die.’_

Checking the time, Y/N smiles apologetically at the two first years. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I really needa go now. See ya later, Tobio and…?” 

“C-Chigaya Eikichi from Shinzen High!” Chigaya responds as he bows. “I’m a first year!” 

“Alright, see ya later, Tobio, Chigaya.” Y/N smiles as she turns to leave, grabbing Atsumu’s arm to snap him out of his daze. “Let’s go, Atsumu.” 

“Yeah yeah.” Atsumu sighs as he grabs her suitcase to leave. 

“See ya at Spring High, Sakusa, Komori.” Y/N smiles as she waves at them. “I look forward to watchin’ yer matches.” 

“We look forward to watching yours too.” Komori responds as he grins, Sakusa waving slightly behind him. “See you later!” 

“Ah, wait a minute, Y/N-san.” Kageyama interrupts as they all glance at him. 

“Hm? What is it Tobio?” Y/N asks. 

“What school do you go to?” 

Y/N blinks in surprise at his question, Kageyama is truly oblivious to everything around him. Smirking, Y/N shrugs lightly. 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m from Inarizaki.” She responds as Atsumu waves him goodbye one last time. 

“See ya later, Tobio-kun.” 

Atsumu and Y/N chat lightly as they walk towards the station, reviewing their weekends and what they’re looking forward to once they return to Hyogo. Until Atsumu suddenly remembers that Y/N and Kageyama are on first name basis. 

“Wait a minute! How d’ya know Tobio-kun??” Atsumu asks as she raises her eyebrow. 

“You’re askin’ now? That literally just happened.” 

“I forgot about it!” 

“How the hell didja forget? We literally saw him a few minutes ago.” Y/N deadpans as she rolls her eyes. 

“Yer dodgin’ the question!” Atsumu accuses. “How are’ya on first name basis? It took you ages to start callin’ me by my first name!” 

“Well, Miya, perhaps if you weren’t such a jerk, I would’ve called you by yer first name sooner.” Y/N shrugs as he scowls. 

“Still haven’t answer my question.” 

Sighing, Y/N facepalms. “Look Atsumu, it’s not that deep. I ran into him after I dropped you off at Ajinomoto and helped him get there ‘coz he was lost. I accidentally called him by his first name and he said it was fine so I said it was fine, that’s it.” 

Atsumu squints at her in suspicion, not sure if he should believe her or not. Y/N rolls her eyes at this. 

“What? There’s nothin’ to worry about.” Y/N deadpans. “His name doesn’t start with a K.” 

“Hmph, fine.” Atsumu mutters as she rolls her eyes again. 

“Anyway, can’t wait to get back to Hyogo.” Y/N sighs. “Tokyo’s nice and all, but I just wanna get back to my normal life to be honest.” 

“Yeah~ can’t wait to get back to trainin’ with the team.” Atsumu chimes happily. “Maybe I’ll learn a new combo with ‘Samu for Spring High!” 

Y/N chuckles at this. “Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

“Whaddya lookin’ forward to when we get back, N/N?” Atsumu asks as she sighs tiredly. 

“Exams of course.” 

The smooth and gentle train ride coupled with the day’s exhaustion easily lulls Y/N to sleep as the bullet train carries them to Hyogo. A small movement startles her awake as she tries to regain her bearings. 

Realising that she’s been leaning on Atsumu the whole time, Y/N groans as she pushes him away. 

“Argh, ew.” 

“Oi, why are’ya mad at me?? I didn’t even do anythin’.” Atsumu whispers as she scowls at him. 

“You should’ve pushed me away or somethin’, woken me up.” Y/N mutters, making Atsumu roll his eyes. 

“But yer really tired, and I bet ya hardly rest anyway.” Atsumu says as he looks at her pointedly. “It’s not even a big deal.” 

“…Whatever.” 

“Heh, yer always mean to me but it seems like you secretly trust me a lot~” Atsumu teases as he smirks. 

“Don’t test me.” Y/N deadpans. 

“I ain’t!” 

Y/N sighs to herself and quietly leans on his side again, despite having no intention of going back to sleep. Atsumu smiles slightly at her quiet and reluctant display of affection and trust, deciding to keep quiet. After a while, Y/N lets out a long sigh. 

“Delete it.” 

“Huh?” 

“Delete the pictures you took of me.” 

“W-what? What makes ya think I took pictures?” Atsumu asks as he starts to sweat. 

“You stuttered, and yer sweating. Also, you’re never discreet. Delete them, creep.” Y/N deadpans. 

“I’m not a creep! It’s just a selfie, I need proof or else ‘Samu and Suna won’t believe me!” Atsumu huffs. “It’s not like I’m gonna post them online or anythin’.” 

“I’m gonna throw you out the window.” Y/N mutters. 

“…D’ya even have any upper body strength?” Atsumu asks as she glares at him. 

“Then do me a favour and throw yerself out.” 

“Wouldn’tcha miss me??” 

“No.” 

“Liar!” 

Atsumu glances at Y/N as she plays on her phone, before turning away, only to glance at her again. After he does this a few times, Y/N sighs as she turns her phone off. 

“What is it?” She asks as Atsumu nervously fiddles with his fingers. 

“Eh, it’s stupid…” He mutters as she looks at him questioningly. 

“Whatever it is, if it’s botherin’ you, then I don’t think it’s stupid.” Y/N says simply as she nudges him. “So, what’s wrong?” 

Atsumu hesitates for a few moments, before letting out a long sigh. “…D’ya think we have a chance to win Spring High?” 

Blinking in surprise, Y/N watches as Atsumu uncharacteristically shifts nervously in his seat. “You’re not the kind to feel insecure, usually you’re always talkin’ about how yer gonna win ‘em all.” 

“I know, and I know that we’re a great team and I’m the best setter, but…” Atsumu trails off and sighs again. “…I don’t wanna throw away our last chance to play with our senpais.” 

Y/N smiles softly at Atsumu as she ruffles his hair. “Aww look at you, bein’ all sentimental.” 

“Don’t mess up my hair.” Atsumu huffs as he tries to remove her hand, making her smile even more. Removing her hand from his head, Y/N sighs as she knocks her head against his shoulder. 

“No one’s victory is assured, so I can’t tell you that yer gonna win ‘em all.” Y/N says simply as Atsumu pouts. “But, whether you win or not, I don’t think it matters much. Just go out there and play your best volleyball, that’s what you always do, right?” 

Atsumu blinks in surprise as he processes her words, before chuckling lightly. “I guess so. Guess yer right~” 

“I’m always right.” Y/N smirks as he laughs. “Don’t worry ‘bout all that sentimental stuff, it doesn’t suit you.” 

“…What’s that s’posed to mean?” 

“Who knows~” Y/N chimes as she shrugs. 

They fall into a comfortable silence as they stare outside the window, they should be arriving in Hyogo soon. After a few moments, Atsumu suddenly remembers something. 

“Wait a minute, N/N.” 

“What is it this time, Atsumu?” 

“When are’ya gonna add me back to the group chat??” Atsumu whines as she sighs in exasperation. “I thought you’d add me back after a while, but it’s been days!” 

“Atsumu, look at the picture you took with Komori.” Y/N deadpans. “Some sins can never be forgiven…” 

“It’s not even that bad! When are’ya gonna add me back??” 

Y/N chooses to not respond as she relaxes in her seat, closing her eyes to let him know that she’s ignoring him. 

“Oi! At least answer my question!” 

“Yer disturbin’ the passengers, Atsumu.” 

* * *

Quickly jogging to the Inarizaki gym, Y/N starts to pant slightly as people move out of her way to let her through. Usually she’d walk over with Kagawa, but she had to stay back to catch up with her teachers and the work she missed out on, so she let Kagawa go ahead of her. 

Y/N throws the gym doors open as she leaps in, catching her breath as she tries to steady herself, feeling a wave of familiarity wash over her as she fully enters and closes the door behind her. 

“And an ice cold breeze enters the gym…” 

Glancing to the side, Y/N smiles at him. “Nice to see ya too, Rintarou.” 

Suna smirks as he walks over and pats her head. “Isn’t it funny that it snows on your first day back? You’re really living up to your ice queen reputation.” 

“Y/N! Yer back!” Ginjima cheers as he runs over to hug her. 

“Hey Hitoshi, nice to see at least one person happy that I’m back.” Y/N smiles as she hugs him. 

“Oi, I’m glad yer back too.” Osamu cuts in as he walks over to them, trying to ruffle Y/N’s head but she dodges him. “But unfortunately, you brought someone annoyin’ back with you…” 

“Seriously ‘Samu??” 

“The fact that you responded means you admit that you’re annoying.” Suna says as Atsumu glares at him. 

“Oi, don’t fight already.” Ginjima cuts in as he tries to stop things from escalating. 

Y/N sighs in contempt as she smiles softly, watching her fellow second years bicker amongst themselves, feeling oddly calm and at home. “I missed this…” 

On the other side of the gym, the third years sweat drop as they watch the second years cause trouble, as usual. It was a quiet week while Atsumu and Y/N went away, but now the peace has broken and it’s noisy again. 

“…I forgot how noisy it usually is when all the second years are here…” Ojiro mutters as he sweat drops, Akagi nods in agreement. 

“Chaos has returned, but somehow it feels like all is right with the world.” 

“I can’t believe our reality has come to this…” Oomimi sighs. 

“With their return, our team can resume practise as usual. I will check on their wellbeing’s later.” Kita says as Akagi and Oomimi nod in agreement, leaving Ojiro in confusion. 

_‘???’_ Ojiro worriedly glances back and forth as he looks at the second years and third years in concern and confusion. He staggers back as he continues glancing back and forth. 

_‘…Why is everyone being so dramatic about this?? Why is this team so weird???’_

* * *

“Eat slower, Osamu, or else yer gonna choke and die.” Y/N says as she sweat drops. 

“I bet I can fit more food in my mouth than you, ‘Samu.” Atsumu challenges as he holds up his identical lunch box. “Whaddya say?” 

“Bring it on.” 

“On second thought, I hope you two choke and die.” Y/N deadpans as Suna snickers. 

“Filming two deaths… Imagine all those views…” Suna mutters excitedly to himself. “I’d go viral.” 

“This is literally the first lunch we’ve had together in over a week… Can’t we just have a normal lunch…?” Ginjima sighs as he facepalms. It’s no use. 

“You heard the man, guess we can’t have any deaths today.” Y/N sighs, stopping the twins from doing anything stupid as Ginjima brightens up. 

“Y/N… Thank you so-” 

“We’ll schedule your deaths for tomorrow.” She adds as Ginjima groans. 

“Why am I here, just to suffer?” 

“Well technically, yes.” Suna says as he shrugs. “Since you choose to be here with us, you choose to suffer.” 

“I didn’t ask you, Suna.” Ginjima deadpans as they all snicker at him. 

“Fine fine~ Let’s be good for Gin~” Atsumu chimes as they all unenthusiastically agree. “So, Spring High’s in a few weeks.” 

“Ya.” 

“I met the setter from the team that beat Shiratorizawa, he’s a bit prickly but he’s a goody-two-shoes on court.” Atsumu says as he plays with his food. “I wonder what the rest of his team’s like.” 

“I already scheduled for us to watch Karasuno’s match with Shiratorizawa tomorrow, we’ll be reviewing over their playstyle and notable members.” Y/N says as they nod along. “I might watch it ahead of time so I can prepare some notes…” 

“Whoa, watching before us huh? Don’t give me any spoilers.” Suna says as she rolls her eyes. 

“Karasuno wins.” 

“I said don’t give me spoilers!” 

“Shiratorizawa loses.” 

“Spoilers everywhere…” 

Y/N rolls her eyes at Suna’s antics as he smirks at her. “Yes, I spoiled it.” 

“You’re cruel.” 

“So I’ve been told.” Y/N shrugs as she smirks. “Here’s another spoiler, yer gonna have trouble with exams.” 

“Argh, don’t mention exams!” Atsumu groans as Osamu and Ginjima sigh. “Why do they hafta be just before the Spring Tournament??” 

“Because that’s the time that every other student does their exams.” Osamu deadpans as he rolls his eyes. “Just ‘coz we do sports doesn’t make us special.” 

“I mean… one would argue that Atsumu is very… special.” Y/N says slowly as Atsumu gasps in offence. 

“Oi! I know yer insultin’ me!” 

“Relax, it was a compliment.” 

Ginjima sighs at their argument. “We should probably hold more group study sessions, Kita-san would want us to be on top of our studies.” 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Suna shrugs. 

“And when we study, I’m takin’ away yer phone.” 

“Wow, suddenly I mind.” Suna mutters. 

“Anywayyy!” Atsumu cuts in, not wanting to talk about exams anymore. “Back to Spring High, those Tokyo jerks are gonna be there too. Argh… so annoyin’. Let’s destroy ‘em this time.” 

“You always declare that we’re gonna destroy them before every single tournament.” Osamu deadpans. 

“Well maybe if I say it enough times, it’ll happen!” 

“Hmm… Tokyo…” Suna mutters as they all turn to him curiously. 

“What is it, Suna?” Ginjima asks as Suna smirks slightly. 

“Oh it’s nothing, nothing at all.” Suna waves him off as he turns is gaze onto Y/N.” So tell me, Y/N, how was Tokyo?” 

Y/N raises her eyebrow at his question. “…It was good?” 

“That’s good, that’s good.” Suna nods. “Anything _interesting_ happen?” 

“I don’t like how he emphasised the ‘interesting’ part.” Atsumu whispers to Osamu as Y/N thinks over her time in Tokyo. 

Atsumu playing in the arcade with her, the wonderful people at the convention, Sakusa and Komori’s surprise visit, Sakusa’s gift, Sakusa… 

“Nope, not really.” Y/N responds as she turns to him with a blank face. 

Suna squints at her suspiciously. “…I don’t believe you.” 

“I don’t care what if you do or not.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “Other than the convention, nothing much else happened.” 

“Really?” Suna asks as he stares at her intently. “So, you didn’t run into Sakusa by any chance?” 

“Oh I did, but like I said, nothing much happened.” 

“That is most peculiar.” Suna says to himself, before suddenly turning to Atsumu. “Is that true, Atsumu?” 

“H-huh?” Atsumu starts to sweat as his eyes dart back and forth between Y/N and Suna, who both have their dead eyes boring into his soul. 

“I’m just asking for you to confirm Y/N’s statement that nothing much happened in Tokyo.” Suna says slowly, still staring at him as Atsumu starts to sweat more. “You can confirm that for me, right?” 

“Uhh… yes?” 

“Wow, I’m thoroughly convinced.” Osamu mutters sarcastically as Ginjima sighs. 

“I see…” Suna mutters as Atsumu laughs nervously, trying to change the topic. 

“Anyway-! N/N fell asleep on my shoulder in the Shinkansen!” Atsumu declares as she glares at him. 

“Pics or it didn’t happen.” Suna deadpans as Atsumu laughs. 

“I knew you’d wanna see! So I took ‘em!” Atsumu declares as he takes out his phone to show them the pictures. Y/N imagines various methods of murdering him in her head as they all go to look at the pictures. 

“Wow, what a creep.” 

“Scary.” 

“I don’t know what to say about this…” 

“Oi! I’m not a creep!” Atsumu huffs as they all shake their head, unimpressed. 

“Oh please, we can literally report you right now.” Osamu deadpans as Suna nods along. 

“How are you even going to explain yourself? ‘I took pictures of a girl while she was sleeping!’ What a creep.” 

“Don’t say it like that!” Atsumu groans as he scowls at them. 

“Sakusa would never do something so creepy. He’s way above that.” Suna says pointedly as he turns to Y/N. “Don’t you agree?” 

“If you’re comparing him to Atsumu, you’re settin’ the standards pretty low.” Y/N deadpans. 

“Ah yes of course, considering he’s _‘a High-quality Handsome Man’_.” 

“I said that _once_ -!” 

“Doesn’t change anything.” Suna shrugs as Y/N groans. 

“Yer all handsome! And yer all high quality if we ignore Atsumu! There, I said it!” 

Suna blinks in surprise at her outburst as he turns to the rest of the second years, who are also taken aback, not knowing how to feel. 

“…You really think so?” Ginjima asks hesitantly as she sighs. 

“Have I ever lied to you guys?” 

“Well-” 

“Shut it.” Y/N deadpans as she sighs again, running her hand over her face. “I mean it though.” 

“Aww Y/N~!” 

“Don’t ‘aww Y/N’ me.” Y/N mutters as she rolls her eyes. 

“Wait, whaddya mean I’m not high quality??” Atsumu suddenly asks as they all facepalm. 

“You’re so slow.” 

“I was stuck on the handsome part!” Atsumu huffs indignantly. 

“Moving on-” Y/N starts as Atsumu scowls at her. 

“Oi! Whaddya mean I’m not high quality??” 

“What d’ya think it means, Atsumu?” Y/N deadpans. 

Scowling at her Atsumu groans before he turns to Suna to snitch on her. “Sakusa gave her a plushie.” 

“What?” Suna, Osamu and Ginjima ask at the same time, taken aback as Atsumu nods seriously. 

“Sakusa won a plushie at the arcade at gave it to her.” 

“…I hafta go.” Y/N mutters as she quickly collects her stuff. 

“Wait, get back here!” Suna calls as she shoots up and runs away. 

“…Should we go after her?” Ginjima asks. “I mean, it’s not like she can outrun any of us…” 

Suna thinks to himself as he sighs and drops back in his seat. “Nah, it’s fine. She can run but she can’t hide.” 

“I can’t believe this…” Osamu mutters to himself as they all nod solemnly. 

Sitting in silence, Suna runs through various calculative thoughts as he reviews over everything that Atsumu and Y/N’s said. After a moment, he gets an idea. 

“Atsumu, send me that picture you took, on the Shinkansen.” Suna says as they all look at him curiously. 

“What? Why? You gonna report me or somethin’?” Atsumu asks suspiciously as Suna rolls his eyes. 

“Nope, just send it.” Suna repeats as Atsumu sighs. 

“Whatever. Just don’t post it online.” 

Once Atsumu sends him the picture, Suna looks over it carefully and nods to himself. “Alright, thank you for your service.” 

“…Okay?” Atsumu hesitantly sits down as Suna smiles innocently. 

Once the lunch bell rings, the boys start heading over to their classrooms, Atsumu with Ginjima, and Osamu with Suna. Settling into his desk, Suna takes out his phone under the desk as he sends a text message. 

_‘Hey Komori, show this picture to Sakusa. [image attachment]’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suna no.
> 
> Whew! What a chapter haha :D What do you guys think? :) 
> 
> I've been super busy lately with uni and my own art projects but I managed to find time to write this OuO And with this chapter, the youth training camp arc has officially come to a close =w= 
> 
> I'm very excited for the next arc though :) of course :) Nationals arc huh :) Oh boy :)
> 
> I have many things planned, but I think you all know what happens at Spring High... :) 
> 
> Anyway! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you liked it too =w= I didn't realise how much I missed the Inarizaki boys until I started writing for them again TT^TT Argh I love them so much... 
> 
> I'm also looking forward to the next chapter :) So I'll see you then! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	38. Finally Here; The Starting Point

Tossing a coin into the offertory box, Y/N bows twice, claps twice, then beings praying. Once she’s done, she bows once more to complete the ritual, before stepping away to let the people behind her have their turn. 

“Let’s go pick a fortune.” Her father calls as they all agree and head over to pick an omikuji each. 

Getting hers, Y/N shrugs in disinterest as she reads it, just a standard ‘future blessing’. Turning to her younger brother, Y/N looks over his shoulder. 

“What didja get?” 

“…Half-curse.” He mutters as she smirks. 

“Heh, what a lo-” 

“I will smite you.” He deadpans as she shrugs. “What ‘bout you, Nee-san?” 

“Future blessing.” 

“Lame.” 

“At least my future isn’t cursed.” Y/N rolls her eyes before turning to her youngest brother. “How ‘bout you?” 

“I got a blessing!” He cheers, holding it up to her so she can read. “Isn’t that great, Nee-san?” 

“Nice, nice.” Y/N nods. “Guess we’re the only blessed kids if history repeats itself.” 

“Well, history did repeat itself.” Their older sister sighs tiredly as she holds up her omikuji for them to see. “I got ‘curse’ again.” 

“Impressive… how does one get ‘curse’ every single year without fail?” Y/N asks as her brothers snicker. “Is this even a curse at this point? Perhaps it is… a lifestyle instead.” 

Y/N’s sister rolls her eyes at this as she turns to their parents. “Mum, dad, Y/N’s being mean to me again.” 

“Stop bullyin’ yer sister, Y/N.” Their mother scolds as Y/N internally rolls her eyes. “And stop joking around about misfortune, go with yer siblings to tie up their bad luck.” 

“Alright…” Y/N mutters as they turn away to tie up the bad luck in the designated area. “Why am I always the one gettin’ told off…?” 

“No complainin’ on New Years~” Her half-cursed brother taunts as she glares at him, making them proceed to engage in a non-verbal argument using only facial expressions and gestures. 

“Stop bein’ so weird, it’s embarrassing.” Their older sister scowls as they roll their eyes and mime zipping their lips. 

Once the cursed children have tied up their misfortune, Y/N boredly glances around the shrine and sees her parents talking to various other people, they’ll probably be talking for a long time. Taking out her phone, Y/N decides to idly scroll through her apps while her siblings disperse to go talk to their friends. 

While waiting, Y/N sighs as she (unintentionally) eavesdrops on other people’s conversations. Most people are just greeting each other and wishing a Happy New Year, as well as expressing their hopes for the year. But it seems like Y/N’s an attention magnet, because people refuse to leave her alone. 

“Yo, I dare you to talk to her.” 

“You go first.” 

Y/N stares off into the distance with dead eyes as she internally sighs, hoping that no one will _actually_ approach her. It’s not that she generally dislikes unfamiliar people, she does but that’s not the point, it’s that she really doesn’t want to deal with human interaction right now. 

Unfortunately, she senses someone approach her. 

“Hey there pretty girl, what are you doing alone?” 

Turning around, Y/N groans as she cringes at the boy in front of her. “…I was literally gettin’ ready to murder you with words.” 

“I expected no less.” Suna shrugs as he smirks lazily. “But don’t worry, I’m not one of those losers who are too cowardly to approach you.” 

“You say that like you’re not part of the reason why they’re so scared.” Y/N rolls her eyes as Suna gasps in an exaggerated manner. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Your glares over my shoulder tell me otherwise.” 

“Don’t jump to conclusions~” Suna shakes his head. “This is just my normal face.” 

“Sure.” 

“Anyway, have you prayed yet?” Suna asks. 

“Yeah, I prayed with my family before and got my omikuji, now everyone’s busy bein’ social while I wait in agony.” 

“Nice nice, so I get to see the famous Inarizaki volleyball club enemies.” Suna nods along. 

“…Didja just say my family is the club’s enemies??” 

“Am I wrong?” 

“…” 

“Thought not.” Suna shrugs as Y/N rolls her eyes. “Anyway, want to go get an omamori? It’ll be good for bringing luck for the new year, maybe even buy a success charm for Spring High.” 

“Sure, why not.” Y/N shrugs as they proceed to check out the omamori stand, seeing a variety of different types of omamori. “Which one are’ya gonna get, Rintarou?” 

“Who knows. Apparently the ideal omamori will call out to us, so I’ll know when I see it.” Suna responds simply. “Not sure it I believe that but why not.” 

“Hmm… the one that calls out to me is the shobai-hanjo I guess.” Y/N responds. “Since I wanna do well with my art stuff this year.” 

“Success in business huh? Guess it’s fitting for you. I’ll probably just get a standard good fortune omamori.” Suna shrugs as they pay for their omamori and proceed to walk around the shrine together. 

“Y’know, I’m surprised you didn’t make me buy a love omamori, considerin’ yer so hell-bent on lettin’ yer ship sale.” Y/N says as she looks at Suna curiously. 

“Pfft- nah. You don’t need a lucky charm for that.” 

“What? Why?” 

“Because you’re not gonna need luck for your relationship~” Suna chimes. “Besides, Sakusa’s going to be the lucky one, anyone would be lucky to have you.” 

“…‘Kay first of all that was lowkey _really_ sweet, I almost ‘aww’ed.” Y/N mutters as Suna chuckles. “Second of all, I don’t even think of him in that way, we’re just friends.” 

“Heh, for now.” 

“Why do you always sound like yer plannin’ something?” Y/N deadpans as Suna smiles innocently. 

“It’s nothing, no need to worry~” He waves his hand dismissively as Y/N rolls her eyes. “Anyway, where to next?” 

“…Let’s just walk around.” 

“Y/N? Who’s this?” Her father asks as she nervously glances back and forth. 

“Ah- this is uhh…” Sensing her hesitation, Suna stands up straight and politely nods to her parents as he introduces himself. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Suna Rintarou.” He says as they all look at him, slightly impressed with his height. “I play on the Inarizaki volleyball team that Y/N manages.” 

“Ah, so yer from the club.” Her father chuckles. “No wonder, I didn’t think she had any friends.” 

“Thank you for takin’ care of our daughter, I know she can be difficult to get along with so it must have been difficult.” Her mother smiles. 

Suna glances at Y/N with eyes that scream _‘what the f*ck’_ as Y/N smiles sheepishly, before turning back to her parents. “Y/N has lots of friends actually, she’s really popular at school.” _‘And outside school as well.’_

“No way, I think you have the wrong person, Y/N’s never really had friends.” They laugh as they shake their head. “Thank you though, for bein’ there for her. If what you say is true, then it’s probably thanks to the club that she has friends.” 

“Right…” Suna mutters as he glances at Y/N again. 

“Anyway, we needa go now. It was nice meetin’ ya, Suna-kun.” 

“Nice to meet you too.” Suna nods politely before waving Y/N goodbye. “Later, Y/N. See you on Friday.” 

“Later, Rintarou.” Y/N waves him goodbye before catching up with her family, knowing that they’ll have a lot to say. 

“So, friend from club, huh?” Her mother asks as they get into the car. “He seems nice.” 

“Is he from Tokyo?” Her sister asks curiously as she turns to her. “He speaks in the standard Tokyo dialect.” 

“Maybe he’s a city boy.” 

“Do you have any female friends though? It’s not good to have too many male friends, you should have female friends instead.” Her father says as he shakes his head. “This Suna Rintarou boy looks sly as well, don’t trust him.” 

“Right…” Y/N mutters as she stares out the window. _‘I’m kinda going to the wrong school if you want me to stay away from sly people…’_

Her family continues chatting in the car as she boredly sighs, not wanting to be included in whatever discussion they’re having. 

On the sidewalk, Y/N blinks in surprise at what she sees. Atsumu and Osamu are having a very obvious verbal argument as they begrudgingly walk down the street with stacks of letters. Quickly taking out her phone, Y/N snaps a few blurry motion pictures to send to the group chat, they’re almost unrecognisable if it wasn’t for Atsumu’s iconic hair colour. 

Opening up the group chat, Y/N sends the picture. 

_‘What are the twins doing??’_

* * *

_「 4th January 2013 」_

“I’m goin’ now.” Y/N calls as her mother waves her goodbye. 

“Take care!” 

Y/N proceeds to shut the door behind her as she takes a deep breath. It’s finally time to leave for Tokyo, for Spring High. 

The third year’s last tournament. 

Smiling lightly, Y/N adjusts her bags and starts heading towards the bus stop to get to school so she can take another bus with the team all the way to Tokyo. It’ll be a long ride, but being with the team is never boring. 

Once her bus arrives, Y/N smiles at the bus driver as she heads in and swipes her card, before promptly looking around the bus for Akagi. Quickly spotting him, Y/N walks over and sits beside him as he grins. 

“Heya Y/N-chan! It’s the big day!” 

“Oh really? I couldn’t tell.” Y/N responds as she smirks. “You excited?” 

“Hell yeah!” Akagi cheers as he laughs. “I’m super excited for this Spring High~ Gonna make my last chance worth it.” 

“That’s a positive way to look at it.” Y/N says, smiling lightly. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do when you third years graduate. Like, who’s gonna be captain? How are we gonna survive without Kita-senpai scarin’ everyone?” 

“I think it’s actually Aran that keeps the peace.” Akagi chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll all be fine~ Sure, there’ll be a lot of things that’ll change, but that’s fine! We don’t need things like memories.” 

“Ohh, quotin’ our banner.” Y/N chuckles as Akagi grins. “I guess we’ll have to adjust~ But let’s just enjoy what we have right now, let’s focus on Spring High.” 

Akagi laughs as he shakes his head. “We’re gonna hafta survive the bus ride to Tokyo first." 

Y/N suspiciously glances back and forth between the boys as she squints at them, but their faces don’t give anything away. Inwardly sighing, Y/N turns her eyes to Atsumu. 

“Atsumu, d’ya have a 3 of Spades?” 

“…Go fish.” 

“LIAR!” Y/N yells as she slams her cards down and grabs his jacket. “GIMME THE CARD ATSUMU!” 

“YOU’LL NEVER GET IT FROM ME!” 

“SO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU HAVE IT??” 

“I AIN’T ADMITTIN’ NOTHIN’!” 

Y/N glares at him as she silently sits down, paying no mind to the very scared and concerned first years that are staring at them as they sit at the back of the bus. “Now you listen here, you’re gonna give me that card or I’ll be forced to take drastic measures.” 

“You think grabbin’ my jacket and yellin’ at me isn’t a drastic measure??” Atsumu asks in exasperation, scowling back at her. “Like I said, I don’t have it.” 

“Liar!” 

“You have no proof!” 

“I’m gonna call Kita-senpai over to look at yer cards.” 

“Oh haha whaddya know! Turns out I do have that card!” Atsumu laughs fakely as he hands it over to her. “Woops! Didn’t see it before!” 

“Osamu, punch him.” 

“Sure!” 

“ACK-! ‘Samu!” Atsumu groans as Osamu shrugs. 

“Manager’s orders.” 

Ginjima sighs as he facepalms. “Atsumu, d’ya have a 2 of Diamonds?” 

“…Go fish.” 

“D’ya really think I’m gonna believe that lie? I literally saw yer cards when Osamu punched you.” Ginjima deadpans as Atsumu lets out a high-pitched screech. 

“I don’t wanna play anymore! Yer all cheaters!” He accuses, pointing at them as they stare at him boredly. 

“Said the liar in a game that relies on trust.” Suna narrates as they all sigh. 

“I’m okay with droppin’ the game if we all agree that ‘Tsumu loses.” Osamu suggests as Y/N and Suna smirk. 

“Sure.” 

“I’m cool with that.” 

“Majority rules.” Osamu shrugs as Atsumu gasps dramatically. 

“No way! That ain’t fair!” 

“Welcome to the real world, Atsumu.” Y/N deadpans as she starts to pack up the cards. Offended, Atsumu turns to the only person he can rely on now. 

“Gin??” 

“…Majority rules.” Ginjima mutters as Atsumu crumbles to the floor in defeat, Osamu, Suna and Y/N laugh hysterically as they take jabs at him, mocking him for taking his designated position as the loser. 

“I… I trusted ya, Gin…” Atsumu murmurs as his soul starts to leave his body. “I… I thought I could trust you…” 

Ginjima rolls his eyes as he sighs, grabbing Atsumu’s jacket and hauling him back into his seat. “You should know better than to trust a fox.” 

* * *

_「 Tokyo 」_

“Tokyo Skytree…” Atsumu mutters in excitement as he presses his face against the bus window. “It’s so tall!” 

“Didn’tcha see it last year?” Y/N deadpans as she watches Atsumu and the first years excitedly stare out their windows, enchanted by the big city. “I’m pretty sure he said the same thing last year as well…” 

“‘Tsumu’s so childish…” Osamu mutters as he sighs. “Couldn’t be me.” 

“Oi! I can hear you y’know?” 

Coach Kurosu claps his hands from the front of the bus to get their attention. “We’re gonna drop off our luggage at the hotel, then we’re gonna go to the gym for some practise.” 

“Right!” 

“Alright, we’re here.” Coach Oomimi calls as they all start to collect their stuff. “Just bring all yer luggage in while us coaches check-in. Be quick though, we don’t have much time left today.” 

“Right!” 

“I’ll take it.” Osamu says as he grabs her suitcase, causing Y/N to sweat drop. 

“Don’tcha have your own luggage?” 

“I got two hands.” 

“Wait, I was gonna carry it!” Atsumu groans as he tries to grab it from Osamu. “Give it back, ‘Samu!” 

“Too bad so sad, yer slow.” Osamu deadpans as he waves Atsumu away dismissively. 

“N/N! ‘Samu’s stealin’ my job!” Atsumu complains to her as she rolls her eyes. 

“Why don’tcha help me carry all my emotional baggage then?” 

“…What?” 

“Don’t ask.” Y/N sighs as Suna snickers. 

“If someone’s going to help you carry your emotional baggage, who’s going to help me carry my limited-edition designer eyebags?” Suna asks as Ginjima facepalms. 

“You all seriously need some help.” 

“Is that an offer?” 

“NO!” 

Tossing the volleyball in the air, Atsumu runs up and slams his hand into it as it rockets towards the other side of the court. 

“Alright!” Akagi calls, quickly shifting to an overhand as he receives the ball, successfully getting it up. 

“Geh-! Seriously??” Atsumu groans as Akagi smirks at him. 

“Yer gonna needa do better than that, Atsumu.” 

“Heh, what a loser.” Osamu says as Atsumu glares at him. 

“Shut it!” 

Osamu rolls his eyes as he also tosses the ball up for his serve. 

Y/N shakes her head in exasperation at the immature twins, they’re always causing trouble. Glancing around the gym, Y/N smiles subconsciously as she watches her teammates continue with practise. It’s nothing vigorous like their usual practises, but it’s exhilarating nonetheless. 

Observing them on the court, Y/N can’t help but reminisce and reflect as the daunting feeling of their final matches with this team approaches. 

Turning to Akagi, Y/N watches as he skilfully receives a number of Atsumu’s serves, teasing and encouraging his junior at the same time. He’s reliable and friendly, easily helping his juniors feel welcome and safe as he exudes a strange kind of familiar comfort. If that wasn’t a sure sign of his maturity, then perhaps his obvious experience on the court gave it away. 

Oomimi on the other hand, is a little more intimidating than Akagi, but that doesn’t take away from his undeniable care. He’s quiet, polite, blunt at times, hard to read, but his care and dedication towards the club is obvious. He does his best to help his juniors, gives them advice, listens to their concerns. It’s no wonder that they all look up to him, it’s no wonder that Suna respects him greatly. 

And Ojiro, the peacemaker of the team, the one who can stop the chaos from getting out of control. It’s obvious isn’t it? He’s a man who works hard and does his best for his teammates, who’s always there for them despite all the trouble they cause. He’s kind and caring, everyone on the team is inspired by Ojiro Aran. He’s reliable, he’s there for them, he’s their ace. 

Finally, Y/N turns her eyes to look at their captain; Kita Shinsuke. 

_‘Mr Perfect Kita Shinsuke’_ as Atsumu calls him, a man with seemingly no flaws. Kita does what needs to be done, he does things carefully, properly, he doesn’t cut corners and does everything he can to fulfill his duties. Kita is reliable, he’s honest, he never wavers, and he cares. He cares for his teammates, so much. He truly cares for them, and he truly believes in them. 

He believes in his teammates, their abilities, their determination. He believes in their confidence and boldness as he watches from the sidelines, their unconventional playstyle that makes his heart swell with pride. 

Kita Shinsuke is their captain. He leads them from behind, acting as their guardian as they all charge ahead with no worries. Because Kita will always be there, to guide them, and cover over their reckless mistakes. 

And as her gaze glides across the gym in melancholy, Y/N smiles softly as she sighs. 

She’s going to miss them when they’re gone. 

“You okay, L/N-chan?” Kagawa asks as they unpack their luggage in their shared room. “You’ve been pretty quiet ever since practise, more so than usual.” 

“Hm? Yeah I’m fine, just have a lot on my mind.” Y/N responds lightly as she shrugs. 

Kagawa smiles softly as she stops unpacking. “Wanna talk? We can take a short break from unpackin’ y’know.” 

“Oh umm… you don’t have to.” Y/N chuckles as Kagawa shakes her head. 

“Nah it’s fine, I could use a short break anyway.” Kagawa says as she sits on the floor, patting the spot in front of her. “C’mon, I think we both have a lot on our minds.” 

“I suppose so.” Y/N says lightly as she sits down, sighing to herself as Kagawa smiles. 

“The great Spring Tournament, huh?” Kagawa says as she chuckles. “It’s startin’ tomorrow, even if our team’s not playin’.” 

“Yeah… I’m honestly really excited.” Y/N responds. 

“So am I, but I guess that doesn’t take away the fact that…” 

“It’s our last tournament with our senpais.” Y/N finishes. “These matches will be the last time we’ll ever have the chance to play with this team.” 

“Whoa, doomsday much?” Kagawa laughs as Y/N rolls her eyes. “There’s no need to be so dramatic and poetic about it~ Let’s not worry ‘bout all that, ‘kay? We’re here to do our best as a team, to go as far as we can with our volleyball.” 

“You’re right, Kagawa-chan.” Y/N chuckles as Kagawa grins. “Guess I just… want to stay with this team, even if it’s just for a little longer.” 

Kagawa sighs at this. “I understand. But change is inevitable, we’re gonna hafta keep movin’ forward, for the next team, and even for the teams after that, when the two of us graduate. We’re gonna be the senpai’s soon, we’re gonna needa lead our juniors.” 

“We’re gonna be third years in a few months… I can’t imagine it.” Y/N laughs as she shakes her head. “Time truly flies, doesn’t it?” 

“It does~ I still remember meetin’ you on the first day of club.” Kagawa grins. “Feels like so long ago, but so close at the same time.” 

“We’re gettin’ old…” Y/N mutters as Kagawa rolls her eyes. 

“Maybe we are, but who cares?” Kagawa asks as she grins. “Let’s just enjoy our last few months as second years, and let’s take good care of our juniors.” 

Y/N smiles at this as she nods. “Alright.” 

“Um, Kagawa-san? L/N-senpai?” Inoue calls as she enters the room. “I wasn’t able to find more, but coach managed to get me these two extra blankets.” 

“Ah, thanks, Inoue-chan.” Y/N smiles as she and Kagawa stand up to take the blankets from her. “You and Kagawa-chan can have them, I don’t get cold easily.” 

“Are’ya sure?” Inoue asks hesitantly as she looks at them. 

“Yep~ Don’t worry about it, thanks for lookin’ for us, Chika-chan.” Kagawa grins as she pats her shoulder, causing Inoue to grin in response. 

“Glad to help!” 

* * *

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」 ___

____

“Here we are.” Kita declares as they enter, observing the numerous volleyball teams around them. 

____

“So we’re finally at Spring High.” Atsumu says, as he glances around. 

____

“Nice observation, ‘Tsumu. Maybe you’re startin’ to become aware of yer surroundings.” Osamu mutters as Atsumu glares at him. “Shut it!” 

____

“Miya! L/N-chan! Hey!” Komori cheers as he approaches them, dragging Sakusa with him who looks less than pleased to be there. 

____

“Hey Komori.” Atsumu greets as Y/N waves at them. “And Sakusa as well I guess, it’s been a while.” 

____

“Yeah, how have you two been?” Komori asks. 

____

“Eh, I’ve been okay I guess. Been practisin’ a lot of course, gonna do my best to beat you Tokyo jerks.” Atsumu smirks as Komori laughs. “How ‘bout you, N/N?” 

____

“Guess I’ve been doin’ well.” Y/N shrugs. “The same as always. I’m excited for this tournament though.” 

____

“I’ll bet, it’s our second Spring Tournament but I’m still not used to it.” Komori chuckles. “Can’t imagine how nervous all the first-time comers are.” 

____

“There’s no space for nerves on the court.” Atsumu says as Komori nods. 

____

“That’s true.” He says before nudging Sakusa. “Come on, at least say hello before you run off into the corner.” 

____

“Hello, can I go now?” Sakusa mutters as Komori sighs. 

____

“…If that’s all you want to say, then sure.” 

____

Sakusa sighs in relief as he straightens up a little, nodding to Atsumu and Y/N. “Your team doesn’t require luck, so there’s no need to wish you good luck. I look forward to watching your matches, and if we both make it to finals again… I’ll see you on the court.” 

____

“You bet I’m gonna see you on the court.” Atsumu declares. “Just don’t lose before then.” 

____

“Likewise, Miya.” Sakusa says as he nods, before looking around and grimacing. “…I hate crowds.” 

____

“It’s alright, it’s only for a short while.” Y/N says simply as she smiles. “I don’t really think you need luck either, but good luck in yer matches.” 

____

“Thank you.” Sakusa nods. “Now if you’ll excuse me…” 

____

Komori chuckles as Sakusa does his best to navigate around the crowd to get to a safe area, shaking his head in exasperation. “Alright then, I’m going to go find Kageyama. See you two later!” 

____

“Bye!” Atsumu and Y/N wave him away as they turn back towards their team. 

____

“So you and Sakusa are actually speaking to each other now… this is much development.” Suna observes as they all roll their eyes. 

____

“Rintarou, we’re here for volleyball.” 

____

“I can multitask.” 

____

____

_“Thank you for waiting. We will now begin the opening ceremonies for the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as the Spring Tournament.”_

____

_“The championship flags are now entering, and the 47 representative schools from across Japan are now entering as well.”_

____

_“Hokkaido’s first representative, boys, Ohya Tech. Hokkaido’s second representative, boys, Morikawa High School. Miyagi Prefecture’s representative, boys, Karasuno High School.”_

____

Y/N watches from the side with Kagawa and Inoue as they continue announcing all the representative schools, standing proudly as they wait for Inarizaki to be called. 

____

_“Hyogo Prefecture’s representative, boys, Inarizaki High School.”_

____

Kita holds the Hyogo sign high as he leads his team into the stadium, striding proudly as they represent both their prefecture and school. The three managers watch from the sidelines as they smile, proud to be part of the Inarizaki team. 

____

They’re finally here, at the starting point.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fine... But are you? :)
> 
> Well, this chapter was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster :D Many things to think about... How are you all feeling? What do you guys think? :) 
> 
> This chapter had quite a few moments that were pretty difficult for me to write, and I spent a lot of time _really_ thinking things through. We've finally reached the point in the manga where Inarizaki gets introduced for this first time... It's quite amazing to see how far this fic as come. I hope we'll enjoy the next few chapters and the match with Karasuno~ Even though, we all know how it ends :)
> 
> Anyway! I've been really _really_ super busy, like I legit can't describe how busy I've been lately XD Legit have so much work... but for a little preview of something I've been working on; 
> 
> I've been drawing one sky a day~ =w= I 'specialise' in drawing skies (or so I say) so this is just some work for a bigger project I'm currently working on~ Hope you like them! OuO
> 
> Also, to everyone that wanted to see Sakusa's reaction to the pic, did you really think I would be nice enough to show you his reaction? 🤩🤩 Pfft- no 💖 I'm not a kind author =w= 💖
> 
> Anyway! Thankyou for reading and all the support! I look forward to sharing the next few chapters with you =w=
> 
> ~~~  
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	39. Challengers

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 1 – First Round_

“Riseki-kun, you look like yer about to throw up.” Y/N deadpans as she stops to look at him. Once the opening ceremony closed, Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi decided to take the team back to the gym to get some extra practise while the first matches began, since the teams that most of the players wanted to watch were later in the day. 

“I- I’m not gonna throw up!” Riseki declares as he shakes uncontrollably, causing Y/N to sweat drop. 

“Right… You can take a break if you want, we’re gonna pack up soon anyway so we can go watch some matches.” Y/N says as Riseki nods along, listening to her every word. “…I think you should take a break.” 

“If you think I should, then I will!” 

Y/N smiles as Riseki stiffly starts to walk away, before halting in his steps and turning to her sheepishly. 

“…What do I do now?” 

“You can help me out if you wanna.” Y/N says as he brightens up. 

“Alright!” 

* * *

Arriving at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium once again, the Inarizaki team enters the building with an air of confidence, easily gaining everyone’s attention. Coach Kurosu turns to the team as he gets their attention. 

“Yer all free to do whatever you want, whether it be spending the whole time in the food court or checkin’ out the stalls. Oomi and I’ll be watchin’ some matches so we’ll be on call if ya need us.” He says as they all nod along. “And don’t cause any trouble.” 

“Coach, do we ever-aCK!” Atsumu gets elbowed by Osamu as Y/N facepalms. 

“I’ll keep an eye on Atsumu I guess…” Y/N mutters as the coaches sigh in relief. 

“Thanks Y/N, we knew we could count on you.” 

“Yep, later~” Suna chimes as he and Osamu quickly run away from her, leaving Y/N to stare at them with dead eyes before slowly turning to Ginjima who laughs sheepishly. 

“…It’s not that I don’t wanna help you…” Ginjima starts as Y/N continues staring at him, unimpressed. “…But someone has to look after those two, so haha bye!” 

Y/N and Atsumu watch as Ginjima runs off in the same direction as Suna and Osamu, leaving them behind as the first years also start to disperse and the third years remain talking amongst themselves. Turning to Atsumu, Y/N scowls at him. 

“This is your fault.” 

“How??” 

Ignoring him, Y/N sighs to herself as she takes the booklet to look through the current matches and the timetable. Atsumu quickly shuts up as he looks over her shoulder to read as well, tilting his head slightly before gasping slightly and pointing to the page. 

“Karasuno! That’s the team Tobio-kun’s playin’ on! Their game’s goin’ on now so let’s check ‘em out!” Atsumu says as Y/N chuckles slightly. 

“Alright, sounds like a plan. Let’s go see how Tobio’s team is~” 

_“Karasuno puts it away!! Their lethal weapon is back! Hinata and Kageyama! The first year duo unleashes their Quick Attack!”_

_“We were finally able to witness it.”_

_“The middle blocker who scored just now, Hinata Shouyou, stands at a mere 164cm. Normally, the middle blocker position is only played by the tallest of athletes, and yet… In this year’s tournament, 164cm is the shortest height amongst all the attackers!”_

_“It seemed as if Tsubakihara Academy was also wary of the Hinata-Kageyama Quick, however… As one might expect, knowing it’s coming and stopping it are two entirely different things.”_

“Whoa… That orange kid looks so tiny on the court… Especially near that tall blond guy that’s servin’.” Y/N says as she looks over the railing, already interested. 

“Hmm…” Atsumu mumbles to himself as he continues watching, scrutinising the players. 

_“And from the other side, the wing spiker wearing #1 Maruyama, finishes it off with a fierce spike of his own! Tsubakihara Academy bounces back without missing a beat!”_

“Ohh that must have been tough to receive, but the blond boy didn’t really move much.” Y/N observes as Atsumu nods slightly, still deep in thought. 

They continue watching the match in interest as Maruyama serves and Karasuno’s captain receives it. Y/N perks up as Hinata starts moving ahead of his teammates before they all follow along in synchronisation. 

Coolly, Kageyama jumps up to set the ball as Y/N leans over the rail to try and see better. 

And he dumps the ball. 

“Pfft-!” Y/N snorts as Atsumu blinks in surprise. “Atsumu didja see that?? Didja see Tobio just then??” 

Y/N smiles widely as she starts hitting Atsumu’s arm repeatedly, pointing to the court. “Tobio really just dumped the ball right there! That’s such a bastard move! That’s totally something you’d try to do!” 

Atsumu remains speechless as he continues watching, not saying anything as Kageyama spins the ball in his hands to serve. Tossing it up in the air and jumping, sending a powerful spike serve with an amazing course over the net. 

“Whoa.” Y/N breathes in amazement as Tsubakihara’s ace manages to get it up, keeping the ball in play, but it goes over the net to Karasuno’s side. 

Karasuno’s libero gets an overhand on the ball, managing to get it up as Y/N and Atsumu continue watching in silence, waiting to see what they do. 

From his serve position, Kageyama smoothly runs across the court and gets into a setting position, sending it to Hinata as he spikes it down instantly before anyone can react. 

_“It’s Hinata Shouyou! Number 10 is at it again! Setter Kageyama comes through with a brilliant setup! I could’ve sworn he was floating just now!”_

_“Not a single wasted movement from Kageyama.”_

_“I didn’t even have time to be surprised!”_

“Damn… Tobio’s brilliant.” Y/N says after a moment as Kageyama starts arguing with Hinata on the court. “His movements are so refined… Kinda reminds me of you but not really? I guess the fightin’ on court is like you though…” Y/N trails off before turning to Atsumu, who’s finally snapped out of his trance. 

“What?! He’s completely different than he was back at camp! How frightening…” Atsumu mutters as Y/N looks at him curiously. 

“Hm?” 

Atsumu shakes his head as his eyes narrow at Hinata. _‘And also… Who is that?’_

The game continues as Y/N and Atsumu find seats a little closer to the match, regularly making comments as they analyse the players. It’s quickly becoming more intense, and before they know it, the tiny middle blocker gets rotated to the back row. 

“One touch!” 

_“Such skilful blocks! First year middle blocker Tsukishima Kei is doing everything in his power to make sure the other team does not get any clean and satisfying spikes!”_

“Oh wow, he’s… _really_ cool.” Y/N mutters as Atsumu scowls. 

“Focus on the match, not the players.” He says as she rolls her eyes. 

“The players are part of the match.” 

The rally continues as both teams find their rhythm and perform exceptionally. Y/N watches as Tsubakihara’s captain and setter tosses to their ace, Karasuno’s blockers instantly lining up to block the cross shot. 

He hits an incredible straight. 

But Hinata’s there, and receives the ball with his body. 

“He stepped a bit too far ahead, seems like his receives aren’t that good.” Atsumu comments as he watches Hinata with critical eyes. “Maybe he’s just good at attacking, but is a scrub when it comes to everythin’ else.” 

“What a jerk.” Y/N mutters as she rolls her eyes. “Still though, his positionin’ was good.” 

“He’s gonna need more than positionin’ if he wants to be good at receives.” 

The match continues as Hinata receives the ball with his body again, stepping too far ahead just like before. Y/N facepalms at this. 

“…Yeah, he’s gonna need more than just positionin’…” 

_“Setter Kageyama pulls off a fast-touch! With the setter out, this has effectively put a lid on any elaborate offensive set up options.”_

Kageyama scowls at this, having gotten the first touch so he can’t touch the ball anymore. 

“Tsukishima!” 

“Got it!” 

Tsukishima smoothly gets into position to set the ball, jumping up and beautifully tossing with a high arc. 

Karasuno’s ace easily smashes the ball into Tsubakihara’s blocker’s hands as he gets a wipe out. 

_“Number 3 Azumane blasts the ball through the wall of blockers! Karasuno scores back to back points!!”_

“That set… that was honestly really good.” Y/N breathes out as her eyes follow Tsukishima. “He’s honestly really _really_ cool… What’s his name?” 

“Focus on the match, N/N.” Atsumu deadpans as she rolls her eyes. 

_“First year Tsukishima-kun with a very fluid, easy-to-hit toss. When a feat like that can really be pulled off so nonchalantly, it really speaks volumes about the overall cohesiveness of that team.”_

“Tsukishima huh? Damn, I should’ve paid attention earlier when they said his first name.” Y/N mutters as Atsumu groans. 

“Are’ya really that impressed by him??” 

“Relax, I just wanna know if his first name starts with K.” Y/N rolls her eyes. 

The game continues as Karasuno gets to set point for Kageyama’s serve, but unfortunately it gets caught in the net. 

_“Number 9 Kageyama tried to end things right there but it got caught on the net! But it’s still Karasuno’s set point! Tsubakihara Academy goes with a member change here at this crucial moment!”_

_“Tsubakihara Academy’s first year pinch server, Himekawa Aoi is being subbed in. Eh… I could be mistaken but this seems to be Himekawa’s very first official game debut…”_

_“Coming in on their opponent’s set point is about as pressure-packed as it gets… Hopefully he can maintain his focus and not let the nerves get the better of him.”_

Y/N grimaces as she holds her head in her hands, sighing tiredly before peeking through her fingers. _‘…He looks like he’s about to puke.’_

Himekawa trembles under the pressure as he grips the ball in his hand, staring over the net at Karasuno in fear. He does not look good. 

Finally tossing the ball up, Himekawa goes to serve the ball. 

_‘An underhand serve…?’_ Y/N and Atsumu think as they tilt their heads to the side, they didn’t expect to see such a basic serve at nationals. 

And as Himekawa hits the ball, it smashes into the back of their ace’s head. 

_FWEET!_

“Ohh… I felt that…” Y/N mutters as Atsumu snorts. 

“Pfft- that was so good. Maybe I should try aim for ‘Samu’s head next time!” Atsumu snickers as Y/N elbows him. 

“Don’t be rude, the poor kid’s probs gonna be traumatised by this for the rest of his life…” 

“Eh whatever.” Atsumu shrugs in disinterest. “Who even does underhand serves these days? Thought only scrubs did ‘em.” 

“Stop bein’ rude, overhand serves are hard if yer not used to ‘em.” Y/N deadpans as Atsumu rolls his eyes. 

“Then just get used to ‘em~” 

“Wow what a genius. I could have never thought of that.” 

_“Coach Oosado has decided to sub Himekawa in again early at the start of the second set. Rather than serving, Himekawa may have originally specialised in defensive play. For all we know he may be a pillar of defence for his team.”_

__

“Hmm… I wonder about that.” Y/N mutters as she watches Himekawa go for an underhand serve again, smashing it to the ceiling as her eyes follow the ball. 

__

_“He hit it extremely high!! This appears to be what they call a ceiling serve, doesn’t it Imai-san?!”_

__

_“Looks like it.”_

__

“Argh, my neck hurts just watchin’.” Y/N mutters as Atsumu scoffs. 

__

The ball rockets down to Karasuno’s captain who unfortunately doesn’t get it up. 

__

“Welp.” Y/N shrugs. “That one couldn’t be helped.” 

__

“NICE SERVE! HIMEKAWA!! NICE SERVE! HIMEKAWA!! GIVE US ONE MORE!!” 

__

The Tsubakihara cheer squad excitedly cheers for Himekawa while his teammates run over to ruffle his hair as he beams brightly. Without a moments delay, Karasuno calls their first timeout. 

__

“D’ya think you can get that one, N/N?” Atsumu asks as he turns to her. 

__

“Eh, probably.” Y/N shrugs. “If I can be bothered goin’ after it. Honestly, your serves are a lot harder to get up, this one’s just hard to predict.” 

__

“True true~” Atsumu chimes as the timeout ends. 

__

Himekawa goes for his second serve, managing to get it between Karasuno’s captain and ace as they both fail to get it up, causing Himekawa to gasp in delight. 

__

“Aww he’s so cute…” Y/N sighs as Himekawa starts celebrating with his teammates. “Why can’t any of you guys be that cute…” 

__

“What? You want me to be like that?” Atsumu deadpans as Y/N nods. 

__

“Admit it Atsumu, a cute personality is wayyy better than a trashy personality.” 

__

“Tch. Maybe you’ll get yer cute first year in a few months.” Atsumu mutters as Y/N perks up. 

__

“Ohh that’s a possibility, I wonder what kind of first years we’re gonna get…” 

__

“Hopefully good players. It’s not gonna be easy replacin’ Aran-kun, Oomimi and Akagi.” Atsumu shrugs as he slumps in his seat. “…and Kita-san.” 

__

__

__

“Oh? They’re bringin’ in their third year at match point.” Y/N comments as she watches Karasuno’s third year setter hold up the substitution paddle. “The booklet says he’s a setter.” 

__

“Oh really?” Atsumu asks as he watches him. “He’ll probably be pretty good then, just not as good as Tobio-kun.” 

__

“Mmhm.” Y/N agrees as she nods. “…He is quite pretty though.” 

__

“When I suggested we go here to check out Tobio-kun’s team, I meant check out their play style.” Atsumu deadpans as he turns to her. “I think we had different kinds of ‘checking out’ in mind.” 

__

“Oh please, it just doesn’t make sense that someone like you would have fangirls but not him.” Y/N rolls her eyes, before turning back to the match. 

__

With Sugawara in position to cover the ball, he easily sets it over to Tanaka. 

__

“That was perfect…!” Atsumu mutters in excitement, leaning closer to the court. “That was such a good toss…!” 

__

“And suddenly a fanboy appeared…” Y/N chuckles as she continues watching the match. 

__

The intense rally continues with powerful attacks from both sides as Y/N and Atsumu watch the players carefully. And as Tsubakihara pulls off another powerful spike, it flings off of Karasuno’s blocker’s hands. 

__

_“And the ball goes flying through after ricocheting off the blockers! But lookie here!! Sugawara is right there to cover!!”_

__

“Nice… that’s amazin’ positioning…” Y/N mutters in awe as Atsumu nods. Karasuno’s ace smashes the ball down, gaining Karasuno their victory in the first round. “Looks like Tobio’s team won.” 

__

“Yeah, that was a pretty good match.” Atsumu admits as he nods, both of them getting up to go somewhere else. “So that’s what Karasuno’s like, huh?” 

__

“Yep~ And we’re gonna verse ‘em tomorrow.” Y/N chimes as Atsumu smirks. 

__

“Can’t wait.” 

__

“Karasuno’s first years a really good though… Tobio, the short kid, and the Tsukishima guy. They’re really good.” Y/N says as Atsumu nods along. “Their libero is amazin’ too… he’s like what I aspire to be… or at least used to aspire to be.” 

__

“…He is pretty cool.” Atsumu admits and averts his eyes as Y/N smirks. 

__

“Heh, so you admit it.” 

__

“Shut it.” 

__

Rolling her eyes, Y/N chuckles. “And that Sugawara guy as super good too. Damn, I’m really excited for the match tomorrow.” 

__

“I’ll bet~” Atsumu chuckles. “Anyway, where d’ya wanna go?” 

__

“Hmm… I was thinkin’ of checkin’ out Fukurodani’s match with Eiwa.” Y/N says as she opens the booklet again. “They’re playin’ on Court E at the moment.” 

__

“Oh I see. I was gonna go get some food actually, I’m pretty sure ‘Samu and the rest are there.” Atsumu says. “D’ya want me to come with you to the match or…?” 

__

“Nah s’fine.” Y/N waves off. “I’ll just go there then go to the food court to find you. Sound good?” 

__

“Yep~ Later N/N!” Atsumu calls as he waves her off. 

__

Opening the map part of the pamphlet, Y/N sighs to herself as she gazes down the hallway. Hopefully she won’t be stopped on the way. 

__

__

__

“Bokuto-san!” 

__

_‘Ah yes, the iconic line.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she watches Akaashi set to Bokuto. Unfortunately for Fukurodani, Eiwa gets the point instead. 

__

Looking around the area, Y/N tries to find a good place to sit without too many people. Spotting a good area, Y/N’s about to go over until someone calls her name. 

__

“Oh? L/N-chan!” 

__

Turning around, Y/N blinks in surprise as she sees Komori cheerfully wave at her, Sakusa nodding behind him. “Sakusa, Komori-kun.” 

__

“Hey~ You’re here to watch the match too?” Komori asks as they approach her. 

__

“I mean, what other reason would I come to a match for?” Y/N chuckles as Komori laughs. 

__

“True true~ Let’s sit together!” 

__

“Sure, if yer okay with that, Sakusa?” Y/N asks as she turns to him, causing Sakusa to shrug. 

__

“I don’t mind.” 

__

“Then it’s settled!” Komori cheers as they go over to the seats Y/N was planning to go to earlier, the other people in the crowd do their best to get out of their way, intimidated and acutely aware of their presence. Seeing the uniforms of two powerhouse schools together is very intimidating. 

__

Sitting on the far edge, Y/N blinks in surprise as Sakusa sits beside her and Komori beside him, she expected him to sit on the side again. Sensing her curious gaze, Sakusa glances at her and averts his eyes back to the court. 

__

“It’s just so that no one else sits next to me. I don’t want to be next to a stranger.” Sakusa mutters as Y/N and Komori sweat drop. 

__

“Right…” _‘I don’t think anyone even has the guts to try and sit next to you…’_ Y/N mentally deadpans as she turns back to the court. 

__

Once Fukurodani’s timeout ends, their team starts consistently scoring against Eiwa as the members find their rhythm. Although Bokuto hasn’t been doing much. 

__

_“Fukurodani Academy, slowly but surely closing the gap! However, their absolute ace, Bokuto Koutarou hasn’t been delivering as per usual today. Eiwa High School, having clearly marked Bokuto out as the player to be most cautious of, may find themselves feeling conflicted over these set of developments today.”_

__

“Bokuto must be in one of his moods today.” Komori comments as Y/N nods. 

__

“Strange though, it’s not like much has happened so it’s kinda weird that he’d already been playin’ like this.” Y/N shrugs as Eiwa calls their first timeout. “Maybe he’s just havin’ an off day?” 

__

“As a player, he shouldn’t let things like this affect him. He’ll become a liability to his teammates.” Sakusa says as Y/N chuckles. 

__

“Don’t be like that Sakusa~ That’s mean.” Y/N smiles before turning back to the court, noticing Akaashi talk to Bokuto and point over to the stands. “Oh, seems like Akaashi-san has a solution.” 

__

As the timeout ends, the match resumes as before until Akaashi tosses to Bokuto. 

__

“Bokuto-san!” 

__

“I get so many flashbacks every time he tosses to Bokuto.” Komori laughs as Eiwa’s blockers jump up to try and stop Bokuto. 

__

Jumping up, Bokuto smashes the ball down with a magnificent straight, painting the line as everyone gasps in surprise. 

__

“Hey hey hey!!” 

__

“That totally painted the line…!” Y/N mutters in surprise, instinctively reaching to hit Sakusa’s shoulder before realising and pulling away. “That’s insane…” 

__

“I guess Bokuto does some good plays every now and then.” Sakusa shrugs as Y/N and Komori nod. 

__

“Guess he’s in the zone again. Man, Akaashi’s amazing~” Komori chimes as the match continues. 

__

With Bokuto on a roll, Fukurodani quickly starts racking up the points against Eiwa and easily wins the game in straight sets, advancing to the second round. Once the match is over, Y/N, Sakusa and Komori start getting ready to leave. 

__

“That was a good match, Fukurodani was really in top form there.” Komori comments as Y/N nods. 

__

“Yeah, even though Bokuto-senpai stands out the most, all of Fukurodani’s players are exceptionally brilliant. They’re truly a powerhouse school.” Y/N says as she takes out the booklet to see what games are playing now. “Oh, Kamomedai’s playin’ soon. That’s the team with Hoshiumi-san, right?” 

__

“Yeah, Sakusa and I were planning on going over to watch them after Fukurodani.” Komori informs as he smiles. “Do you want to come?” 

__

“Ah, I would but I told Atsumu that I’d meet him at the food court after Fukurodani’s match.” Y/N smiles sheepishly. “So I guess not, soz’.” 

__

“Nah that’s fine!” Komori laughs as he waves her off. “Just thought I’d ask!” 

__

“Do you want us to go with you?” Sakusa asks as she turns to him. “Kamomedai’s match hasn’t started yet and it probably won’t matter if we miss the beginning.” 

__

“Oh if yer fine with that then that’d be nice.” Y/N smiles before pausing momentarily in her step. “…Although I needa warn ya and say my teammates are… a little strange.” 

__

“Not surprised.” Sakusa mutters as Komori chuckles. 

__

“I think I’d be more surprised if they were normal~” 

__

“Inarizaki? Normal? Sounds like a nightmare.” Y/N sighs as they start heading over to the food court. “Besides, I like the team the way it is.” 

__

__

“Do my eyes deceive me…? Am I hallucinating…?” 

__

“Stop bein’ dramatic, Rintarou.” Y/N deadpans as Suna gasps dramatically in slow motion. 

__

“Osamu, is this… a traitor? Our own manager… hanging around our sworn rivals… I should have known that her loyalties didn’t lie with us…” Suna mutters as he collapses into his chair, looking stricken. “So this is heartbreak…” 

__

“I didn’t break yer heart, Rintarou, stop actin’ like I did.” Y/N rolls her eyes as she sits down beside Ginjima. “Why is Hitoshi the only normal one…” 

__

“Hey, I’m pretty normal too.” Osamu protests as Y/N facepalms. 

__

“Your genetics say otherwise.” 

__

“Wait, what’s that s’pose to mean??” The twins ask in unison as Sakusa and Komori watch the Inarizaki second years silently, choosing not to say anything. 

__

“Are you sayin’ I’m similar to ‘Tsumu? The guy with the personality of sewage water?” 

__

“What was that ‘Samu?!” 

__

“Guys stop fightin’, we’re in public.” Ginjima groans as he grabs Atsumu’s arm to make sure he doesn’t jump up and tackle Osamu. “And Suna, stop spoutin’ weird nonsense.” 

__

“No.” 

__

Ginjima blinks in surprise as he tries to think of something to say in response to Suna, before giving up and sighing. He turns to Y/N instead. “…What do I do now? He said no…” 

__

“Just ignore him, Hitoshi.” Y/N deadpans as she sighs, turning to Sakusa and Komori as she smiles apologetically. “Sorry ‘bout them…” 

__

“It’s fine! You guys are pretty funny.” Komori laughs as Suna smirks. “Hey Suna, nice to see that you’re doing well.” 

__

“You too~” Suna chimes as he lazily turns his gaze to Sakusa. “Hello to you too, Sakusa.” 

__

Sakusa remains silent as he nods, watching them all carefully as Komori chuckles. 

__

“Sorry about that! Sakusa’s not much of a talker.” He says sheepishly. “Anyway, we’re going to go over to watch Kamomedai’s match, so we’ll see you later!” 

__

“See ya.” They all chime as they wave the two Itachiyama students away, turning back to each other as they leave. 

__

After a few moments of silence, Atsumu decides that he can’t keep quiet and needs to start talking. 

__

“I’m so bored! Should we go watch Kamomedai too?” He asks as they all sigh. 

__

“But I just got here…” Y/N mumbles as she sighs tiredly. “…I’m hungry.” 

__

“Guess we’re stayin’ then.” Osamu shrugs as he gets up and grabs his bag. “I’ll go get you a bento, N/N.” 

__

“Thanks Osamu.” Y/N calls as she waves him goodbye, turning to Atsumu. “You can go watch Kamomedai if you wanna, I think I’m just gonna stay here and wait until Coach Kuorsu tells us that we needa go.” 

__

“I’m staying too.” Suna chimes as Ginjima nods. 

__

“Same.” 

__

Atsumu scowls silently as he slumps in his seat. “…Guess I’ll stay too.” 

__

_‘He’s such a child…’_ They all mentally deadpan as they sigh. Thinking for a moment, Suna turns to Y/N. 

__

“So Y/N, what’s your ideal type?” 

__

“My what?” Y/N asks, raising her eyebrow. “What prompted this question?” 

__

“I’m just curious is all.” Suna shrugs. “Of course you’re secretly thinking of someone, but is there anyone on the team that matches your ideals?” 

__

“Huh, this question went in a different direction than I expected.” Y/N mutters as she thinks to herself. “Hmm… ideal type on the team huh?” 

__

“Ohh I wanna know too!” Atsumu chimes as he looks at her in interest. “Anyone come to mind, N/N?” 

__

“Well, I’m pretty sure almost every girl would consider Kita-senpai an ideal guy.” Y/N says after a moment, tilting her head to the side in thought. “So Kita-senpai I guess?” 

__

“N/N, that’s totally not fair…” Atsumu deadpans as he sighs. “You can’t compare ordinary people to Mr Perfect Kita Shinsuke.” 

__

Suna nods in agreement. “Excluding Kita-san, does anyone else on the team come to mind?” 

__

“Hmm… I’d have to think about that…” Y/N says before turning to them. “What about you guys?” 

__

“What?” 

__

“What’s yer ideal type?” Y/N asks. “…Doesn’t hafta be someone on the team unless you want it to be-” 

__

“Shut it.” Atsumu groans as Y/N smirks. 

__

“Just jokin’~ So have you met anyone that meets yer ideals?” Y/N asks as Atsumu shrugs. 

__

“Nah, too busy with volleyball.” 

__

“Ball is life huh?” Ginjima asks as he sweat drops. 

__

“Yep~” Atsumu chimes as Osamu comes back with a bento box for Y/N. “What about you ‘Samu?” 

__

“What are we talkin’ about?” Osamu asks as he sits down, sliding the box over to Y/N as she smiles in thanks. 

__

“Have ya met anyone yer interested in?” Atsumu asks curiously as Osamu thinks for a moment. 

__

“Hmm… I guess Fukurodani’s manager’s pretty cute.” He says after a moment. “The shorter one with the reddish hair.” 

__

“Shirofuku-senpai?” Y/N asks. 

__

“Ya.” 

__

“Oh?? Why didn’tcha tell me ‘Samu??” Atsumu asks as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

__

“I just said she’s pretty cute, I didn’t say I was interested.” He deadpans as they all sigh in disappointment. 

__

“Boring.” Suna mutters. 

__

“Oh yeah? Then what about you, Suna?” Osamu asks as Suna shrugs. 

__

“Sorry, phone is life.” 

__

“Boring.” 

__

“Gin?” Atsumu asks as they all turn to Ginjima, who sweat drops at their curiosity. 

__

“Eh, to be honest, I think I spend most of my time lookin’ after you guys. So I haven’t really noticed anyone else.” Ginjima says as Suna smirks. 

__

“Oh? So what you’re saying is, you’ve been too busy looking at me to notice anyone~” Suna teases as Ginjima blushes. “Aww Gin~ I see your hidden feelings~ Sorry though, I’m devoted to my phone.” 

__

“Wha- Shut up!” Ginjima groans as Suna snickers. 

__

“Why don’t you shut me up?” 

__

“This conversation is over.” Ginjima deadpans, scooting away from Suna. “I needa get away from here… It’s not too late to transfer for third year…” 

__

“Wait, N/N never properly answered!” Atsumu cuts in. 

__

“What?” 

__

“Does anyone on the team fit your ideals?” Suna asks once more. 

__

“Hmm… I dunno~" Y/N shrugs as she smirks. "None of yer names start with K.” 

__

__

And as the first day of Spring Interhigh came to an end, 40 teams were eliminated. 

__

__

* * *

__

__

Watching the tape carefully, the Inarizaki team stays eerily silent as they meticulously analyse the plays, it’s totally different from their usual boisterous energy. The Karasuno and Shiratorizawa match glows brightly on the screen. 

__

Arranging her notes, Y/N tries to order them as she watches, having seen the match multiple times already. Making small adjustments to her notes and adding extra information, she wordlessly shows the coaches who nod silently in approval, wanting the team to watch the full match first before breaking it down. 

__

No matter how strong the team, no one’s victory is assured. So it’s imperative that they are prepared for tomorrow. 

__

__

__

Relaxing on her bed, Y/N absentmindedly plays with her phone as Kagawa silently studies at the desk. After a few moments, Inoue hesitantly enters the room as they glance up at her, noticing her apprehension. 

__

“Chika-chan? What’s wrong?” Kagawa asks as she puts her pencil down, getting Y/N to put her phone down as well. 

__

“Oh, ah- It’s nothin’…” Inoue mumbles sheepishly. “Just a bit anxious for tomorrow I guess…” 

__

“Well, that’s understandable.” Kagawa nods as Inoue fiddles with her fingers. “We can’t really predict how matches will turn out, so it’s normal to be a little nervous.” 

__

“Is there a reason why yer extra apprehensive though?” Y/N asks. “You look like yer deep in thought.” 

__

“Oh it’s nothin’…” Inoue mumbles again, still playing with her fingers. “It’s just… I walked past the third year’s room… And they were talkin’ about how this is their last tournament.” 

__

Glancing at each other, Y/N and Kagawa sigh silently as they swivel around to face Inoue properly. 

__

“Chika-chan… It’s gonna be alright.” Kagawa says after a moment, smiling at Inoue as she approaches her and pats her shoulder. “There’s no need to be worried, we’re the second seed and a well-known powerhouse school. We’ll be fine.” 

__

“I know… It’s stupid…” Inoue sighs as she smiles sheepishly. “Soz’ about that… 

__

“It’s not stupid. If it bothers you, then it’s not stupid.” Y/N says simply, looking at her teammates blankly. “The truth is, this is their last tournament, it’s the last tournament for a lot of the players. No one’s victory is certain, tomorrow… might be our last day together with _this_ team.” 

__

“L-L/N-chan, yer gonna make her cry…” Kagawa hesitantly interrupts, rubbing Inoue’s back as she sadly stares at the floor. 

__

“But y’know, it’s okay.” Y/N shrugs. “Nothin’ lasts forever, we’ll all say goodbye one day and go our separate ways, and that’s okay. Let’s just enjoy the time we’ve still got together, ‘kay?” 

__

“‘Kay…!” Inoue nods vigorously as she starts tearing up. “I’ve… enjoyed all my time with this team…! I’ll be sure to keep workin’ hard and keep havin' fun with everyone…!” 

__

_‘She actually started crying…’_ Y/N thinks in distraught as she jumps up and tries to console the crying girl with Kagawa. “I-Inoue-chan! Please don’t cry, I didn’t mean to make you cry!” 

__

“It’s okay Chika-chan! Deep breaths!” Kagawa says as Inoue starts trying to wipe away her tears, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. 

__

“I’m okay…! I just got a bit emotional!” Inoue declares as the two second years flinch away. 

__

“Ehh if you wanna lie down for a bit it’s fine, Chika-chan…” Kagawa says slowly as Inoue shakes her head. 

__

“No! I’m fine! Sorry to make you worry!” Inoue says as they hesitantly glance at each other. “The third years were talkin’ about tomorrow and I got nervous and emotional, I should’ve listened and paid attention to what Kita-senpai said instead of lettin’ the rest of the conversation get to me!” 

__

Blinking in surprise, Y/N asks hesitantly. “…What did Kita-senpai say?” 

__

Inoue smiles slightly as she turns to Y/N. 

__

“I have complete faith in my teammates.” 

__

__

* * *

__

__

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 2 – Second Round_

__

Arriving at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium early, the cameras surround Inarizaki as they silently make their way through the crowds, their school banners being carried behind them as they pay no mind to the sea of people around them. 

__

Side eyeing the camera, Y/N glances away as she faces forwards, adjusting her facemask and stuffing her hands back in her pockets. They don’t have time to appease the fans, they’re here for warmups. 

__

Only inexperienced teams would make the unfortunate mistake and waste this valuable time. And thanks to the large number of people helping the team, it won’t be too difficult to get ready, and the players can focus completely on warmups. 

__

Arriving at the court before Karasuno, Inarizaki quickly gets straight into warming up and their regular practise drills as Karasuno starts filing in. 

__

Having no time to properly look at them, Y/N focuses on assisting the players with their warmups, running around to get any stray balls or tossing up new ones for the players, it’s only when Coach Oomi decides to head over the net to Karasuno’s side does she pause slightly to glance over. 

__

“We can start on spikes next, right?” Coach Oomi asks as he smiles down on Karasuno’s coach who flinches and starts sweating in fear. 

__

“Uhhmmmm-!!” 

__

Karasuno’s other coach quickly runs over. “We’d like to spend more time serving if that’s alright!” 

__

Y/N rolls her eyes at this as she gets back to assisting her teammates. “Rintarou, yer movements are so sloppy.” 

__

“Thanks, that’s what I was going for.” Suna deadpans as stretches a little more. “I’m so tired…” 

__

“I am too, but we have a game to win.” Y/N sighs as she grabs his arm and pulls him off the floor. “C’mon, the twins are already pullin’ ahead and sweatin’ more than everyone.” 

__

“That’s because they’re mentally unstable.” 

__

Y/N sighs as she facepalms, opening her mouth to retort until someone on Karasuno’s side yells. 

__

“THERE ARE TWO ‘MIYA ATSUMUS’?!” 

__

Sweat dropping, Y/N glances to the side as she sees the short kid staring at the twins in awe, Kageyama scowling behind him. 

__

If they heard his outburst, the twins chose to ignore him as Atsumu smirks and makes his usual declaration. 

__

“This is the last time we’re lettin’ those Tokyo jerks get ahead of themselves. Let’s destroy ‘em all.” 

__

Osamu remains silent as Y/N sighs tiredly, running a hand down her face as she takes a few deep breaths. “Does he need to say that every time…?” 

__

“I’m pretty sure he’s just jinxing us at this point, we lose every time he says it.” Suna deadpans as Y/N sighs again. 

__

“Don’t say that, Rintarou.” 

__

__

__

“Today marks Inarizaki’s first day of the playoffs, so…” The interview trails off as she looks at Kita. “How is the overall condition of your team right now?” 

__

“Yes. I think the first match in any tournament can be rather scary and nerve-racking, no matter which team.” Kita says calmly as he stares into the camera, smiling slightly. “Everyone is calm, we’re in top shape so I think the atmosphere is quite good, I’m confident that we’ll be fine.” 

__

“What exactly is your goal for this tournament?” She asks. 

__

“To be the last team standing of course.” 

__

__

At the Sub Arena, both Inarizaki and Karasuno continue with warmups as their match grows nearer. Glancing over at Karasuno’s side, Atsumu smiles as he spots Kageyama. 

__

“N/N, I’m just gonna go over and say hi to Tobio-kun~” 

__

“Wait, don’t cause any trouble- Argh he’s totally gonna cause trouble.” Y/N groans as she finishes up with her tasks and prepares to go over and make sure Atsumu doesn’t insult too many people. 

__

“Hinata dumbass!” Kageyama yells as Y/N pauses slightly and sweat drops. What a perfect time for Atsumu to show up. 

__

“Yer really into it are’tcha!” Atsumu chimes as both Kageyama and Hinata stop to look at him. 

__

“Hey.” Kageyama greets as Atsumu smiles. 

__

“Ya been well, Tobio-kun?” 

__

“Yes.” 

__

“Give it yer all today, ya hear me?” Atsumu asks, still smiling. “Coz’ I hate playin’ matches against people who suck at the actual game.” 

__

_‘Yikes…’_ Tsukishima thinks to himself as Hinata points at himself in disbelief. 

__

_‘Powerhouses sure are scary…’_ Ennoshita mentally deadpans. 

__

“Well… I’m sorry to hear that.” Kageyama says. 

__

“Why are you apologising?? Kageyama you bastard!” Hinata screeches as Atsumu smirks. 

__

“I don’t suck at the game though.” Kageyama says simply as Atsumu laughs. 

__

“I know I know~” 

__

“I can’t say the same for him though.” 

__

“How could you say that?!” Hinata yells at Kageyama. 

__

“But… He’s definitely not a pushover either. So don’t worry, you’ll have your hands full.” Kageyama says as Atsumu smirks down on him. 

__

Quickly running over, Y/N pushes Atsumu away slightly as she sheepishly smiles at Kageyama. “I’m so sorry ‘bout him, Atsumu’s a big fat jerk so don’t let anythin’ he says get to you.” 

__

“Ah, Y/N-san, it’s fine.” Kageyama nods as Hinata and Tsukishima blink in surprise, watching the exchange in interest. 

__

“Argh… I can’t let him out of my sight even for a few seconds…” Y/N sighs as she turns back to Kageyama. “How’ve you been, Tobio?” 

__

_‘First name basis??’_ Hinata and Tsukishima think in shock as they glance back and forth. 

__

“I’ve been well.” Kageyama responds as she smiles. 

__

“That’s good.” Y/N says before noticing Hinata’s curious gaze and turning to him. “Hinata Shouyou, right? I look forward to the match, I’ll be watching you all carefully.” 

__

“Ah- Yes! I mean, thank you!” Hinata sputters out as she smiles. 

__

“We’ll be on our way then, see ya on the court.” Y/N says as she grabs Atsumu’s arm and drags him back to Inarizaki’s side. “Later, Tobio.” 

__

“Bye.” 

__

“Later Tobio~” Tsukishima taunts as he smirks, getting Kageyama to scowl at him. 

__

“Who was the pretty girl you were talking to, Kageyama?” Hinata asks excitedly as Kageyama scowls even more. 

__

“None of your business.” Kageyama mutters as Tsukishima’s smirk widens. 

__

“Ehhhh~?? What now~??? What’s the maaatter Tobiooooo~??” Tsukishima taunts as Kageyama glares at him. 

__

“She’s just Inarizaki’s manager! I met her at Youth Camp!” Kageyama groans as Hinata gasps in awe. 

__

“That’s so cool!!” 

__

“What was she doing at Youth Camp?” Tsukishima asks. 

__

“She was-! Eh, she was…” Kageyama stops in his tracks as he tries to think. “…What was she doing at Youth Camp?” 

__

“Don’t try to think too hard, King.” Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “You might malfunction.” 

__

“HUH?!” 

__

__

Changing into their black uniforms, the Inarizaki team quietly prepare themselves for the match as they maintain their cool and composed atmosphere. They take their time changing, there’s no point rushing. 

__

Hearing the ending whistle for the match before them, Kita gets up and faces his teammates. 

__

“It’s time.” 

__

Throwing the doors open, the Inarizaki team steps out as they’re greeted by the cheers of the whole audience. Paying them no mind, Kita throws his jacket into the basket as they make their way to the court. 

__

“Atsumu!” “ARAN!!!” “Osamu!” “Miya-senpai!!!” “Suna!!” 

__

_‘So noisy…’_ Y/N mentally deadpans as the Inarizaki band easily drowns out all other noises in the gymnasium. 

__

“Let’s get ready for official warmups.” Kita instructs as they all nod. 

__

“Right!” 

__

__

The official warmups go smoothly as Inarizaki goes through their spiking drills, Y/N notices Karasuno’s blonde manager squeak in fear at the power and intensity of Inarizaki’s spikes. 

__

“Last one!” Coach Oomi calls as he tosses the ball into the air, only for Atsumu and Osamu to switch places. 

__

“The Soul-Swap Time Difference Attack!” Atsumu calls out as Osamu tosses the ball and Atsumu spikes it down. 

__

“Nice, Miyas!” Someone from the crowd calls as the Osamu holds up his arm and Atsumu waves. 

__

Karasuno starts their spiking drills as the Inarizaki team watches in interest, observing Hinata as he jumps up and spikes. 

__

“Man, that kid can sure jump pretty high, huh?” Ojiro comments as Suna boredly stares at him, not really caring. 

__

__

* * *

__

__

_Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Karasuno_

__

Facing the opposing team, Inarizaki stares at Karasuno as they wait for the match to commence. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

“Let’s have a good game!” 

__

Smiling at his team, Coach Kurosu nods at them. “We’ve never played against Karasuno, but I don’t think I needa say much. Let’s get out there and win this game, show ‘em who Inarizaki is.” 

__

“Alright!” 

__

__

Atsumu takes six steps from the end line as the Inarizaki band blasts their theme song, hyping up the crowd. The Karasuno team watches him carefully in anticipation. 

__

_FWEET!_

__

The Inarizaki band continues to blast their tunes over the crowd as Atsumu slowly starts to lift his hand. 

__

Keeping his eyes trained on the ground, Atsumu suddenly clenches his fist as the stadium falls into total silence. Everyone holds their breath in anticipation as they all stare at Atsumu. 

__

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu throws the volleyball into the air as he runs up for his spike serve, until he’s rudely interrupted. 

__

“Leeeeeet’s goooo~!” 

__

“Uh-oh.” Osamu mutters as Y/N cringes and facepalms. This will not go well. 

__

Slamming his hand into the ball, Atsumu smashes it between Nishinoya and Tanaka before they can react. 

__

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Karasuno_

__

“NICE SERVE! ATSUMU! NICE SERVE! ATSUMU! LET’S GO! LET’S GO! ATSUMU! GIVE US ANOTHER!” 

__

“Nice serve!” The two girls cheer happily. “Wa! He looked in our direction!” 

__

_‘Don’t interrupt me when I’m serving, you noisy pigs.’_ Atsumu sneers as they shiver, he turns back to the court for his second serve. 

__

Sighing to herself, Y/N glares at the girls for their stupidity. Who even cheers when the rest of the stadium is obviously silent?? 

__

Tossing the ball up for his second serve, Atsumu grins as he smashes it over the net again, aiming between Daichi and Nishinoya. 

__

“Out!!” 

__

The ball bounces just slightly out of bounds as everyone sweats from the power. 

__

_Inarizaki [01 – 01] Karasuno_

__

“Damn it!!” Atsumu groans in frustration. 

__

“Boooo.” Osamu taunts as Atsumu groans. 

__

“Shut it!” Clicking his tongue, Atsumu scowls at the ground. “My service toss was a lil’ bit off.” 

__

Karasuno’s ace Asahi goes up to serve as he takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself. Before he can get his focus, the Inarizaki cheer squad starts booing him. 

__

Tossing the ball into the air, Asahi jumps up and hits a powerful spike serve, getting it caught in the net. 

__

_Inarizaki [02 – 01] Karasuno_

__

“My bad!” 

__

__

_“The two teams have already begun jostling over their dominance of the flow of the game through their powerful serves.”_

__

_“Well now Habuka-san, for this current match right now I suppose we should all be keeping a close eye on the player who is widely talked about as the Number 1 High School Setter, Inarizaki’s Miya Atsumu!”_

__

_“Yes, that is correct. Additionally, for this match, I also wish to pay particularly close attention to Karasuno’s setter. Karasuno High School’s Kageyama Tobio also qualified as a Youth Team Representative and is quite the promising young player. He didn’t really stand out during his middle school days. However, I think he is definitely a player who’s stock has been steadily on the rise.”_

__

_“This is truly an East-West Setter Showdown!!”_

__

Taking a big step, Hinata jumps up as everyone gets shocked by the height of his jump, but Suna instantly lines up and jumps to block him. 

__

However, Hinata forgets to hit the ball. 

__

The ball bounces down onto the court as Suna stares at it with dead eyes, looking tired as he realises that he jumped for nothing. 

__

“I forgot… to spike it…!!” Hinata declares in shame as he holds his head in his hands, causing Y/N to inwardly die as she also holds her head in her hands. 

__

“If you can’t do both at the same time then don’t bother doing it dumbass!” Kageyama yells as Y/N continues to inwardly die from second-hand embarrassment. 

__

“Did he just say… he forgot to spike the ball?” Ojiro asks as Suna nods. 

__

“Yes, he did say that.” 

__

_‘That jump… just now…’_ Atsumu thinks as Y/N slowly regains her composure and takes a deep breath, analysing Hinata just like Atsumu. _‘Are you saying the jumps we’ve seen so far aren’t the highest he can go?’_

__

“Are you saying, he just tried experimentin’ with something… while playing against us?” Osamu asks as he looks at Hinata. “One of the favourites to win the tournament?” 

__

“And here I thought Tobio-kun was the type of guy who did as he pleased…” Atsumu mutters. “But it seems like this kid is just as bad.”

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG BUT THE MATCH IS FINALLY SET IN MOTION 🤩🤩🤩 CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THE MATCH TURNS OUT HAHA 🤩🤩🤩 MUCH FUN 🤩🤩🤩
> 
> So what do you all think? So much happening in this chapter huh :) 
> 
> Fun author fact: My Haikyuu kin is Tsukishima! All my friends that are familiar with Haikyuu know that I'm super similar to Tsukishima... our personalities... :D It's actually to the point that I have friends that call me "Tsukki" O3O and one of my friends says she can't take Tsukishima seriously because every line he says, she can imagine me saying it XD Oh well! :D
> 
> Anyway! Who watched the live Schweiden Adlers VS MSBY Black Jackals match?? 🤩🤩 I watched the livestream from beginning to end and let me tell you... I _swear_ I was completely fine... and then they showed the two Inarizaki PV's... and I may or may not have gotten emotional... _*head in hands*_ My boys... I love them so much... I can't wait for the match to be animated ;-; 💖
> 
> That being said, you guys already know what's in stall for the next chapters... Don't you? :) 
> 
> Luckily for you though, it'll alllll be from Inarizaki's perspective! :D Haha much fun! 
> 
> Anyway! Thanks for reading this super long chapter! This is the second longest chapter so far~ Only a few hundred words short of the Itachiyama match chapter~ =w= So I hope you enjoyed it! OuO And I'm sure... you'll enjoy the next ones too... 😏😏
> 
> ~~~  
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	40. This is War

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 2 – Second Round_

 _Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – First Set_  
_Inarizaki [03 – 02] Karasuno_

“What a giant waste…!!” Hinata dramatically sighs as he clenches his fists. 

“He’s being wayyy too dramatic about this.” Atsumu and Tanaka say in unison before turning to each other. “Yeah, I know right?” 

_“Umm… seems like Hinata Shouyou has miscoordinated the timing for their Quick Attack. Karasuno still seems to be trying to catch their bearings on the start up… Perhaps that’s what’s going on here…?”_

“…I’m not even on their team… but the second-hand embarrassment…” Y/N mumbles as she holds her head in her hands, causing Coach Kurosu to laugh. 

“You say that like our team doesn’t have our moments too.” 

“Please don’t remind me.” 

“Nice serve!” 

Suna boredly stares across the net as he receives the ball to serve, not caring about the Inarizaki band blasting music behind him. 

_‘I couldn’t care less whether the spectators are quiet or loud when I serve.’_ He internally deadpans as he instantly sends his serve over. Sawamura watches as the serve flies to the edge of the court, quickly shifting his body to the side. 

_‘Damn that’s a tough spot…!’_

_“That was a very risky serve he just pulled off there! That receive broke their formation, that last goes to Tanaka!”_

“One touch!” Osamu and Oomimi call as they get a hand on the ball. 

“…Got this.” Suna calls, before glancing to the side and noticing Atsumu, moving out of his way as he watches Atsumu jump in front of him and set the ball. 

Setting the ball, Atsumu takes Karasuno by surprise as Ojiro jumps up and spikes the ball down onto their court. 

_Inarizaki [04 – 02] Karasuno_

_“The first touch turns straight into a set! Miya Atsumu!!” The commentators cheer as the crowd goes wild. “The set up is turned into an intense score by Ojiro Aran! Karasuno High School is in stunned silence!”_

“Nice kill!” Atsumu cheers as Ojiro turns around. 

“That caught me by surprise! Oi!” 

“Ehehe~” Atsumu laughs as Ojiro groans and moves back into position. 

_“As usual, Inarizaki doesn’t restrict themselves to playing by the expected norms.”_

Moving to the back line for his second serve, Suna watches the referee closely for the signal. 

_FWEET!_

Instantly sending his serve over, Suna serves on the whistle, catching Karasuno off guard as Sawamura stumbles to receive the ball. 

“Kuh…!” 

_“This time he’s aiming for the front! He’s keeping Karasuno completely off balance!”_

“Sorry! That’s a bit long!” Sawamura calls as Kageyama jumps up and reaches for the ball, Oomimi and Osamu quickly following as they jump up to block him. 

Spinning around, Kageyama hits the ball on Oomimi’s outstretched hand as it rebounds back to Karasuno’s side, taking Osamu by surprise. 

_‘A spin around rebound! He’s good!’_ Osamu thinks to himself as Nishinoya receives the ball. 

“Ah!!” Hinata yells in Oomimi’s face, who gets flinches in shock from his sudden yell. 

“Eh?!” 

The Inarizaki team watches in awe as Hinata swiftly shifts to the side and sprints to the other side of the court, jumping up as Kageyama sets to him. 

“Uwah…” Atsumu and Osamu mutter as they watch him. 

Hinata instantly hits the ball down onto Inarizaki’s court as Suna reaches for it but doesn’t manage to get a hand on it, stunning everyone to silence from his speed and agility.

_Inarizaki [04 – 03] Karasuno_

“He’s even faster up close…” Y/N mutters to herself as everyone stares in awe, taken aback. 

_“Hinata Shouyou with a dash and score!! Now that is what I call fast!! We just bore witness to the Karasuno first year combo’s Explosive Broad Attack Special Skill!”_

“So that’s the Karasuno first year duo, huh?” Coach Kurosu mutters as he sighs. “They’re gonna be an issue…” 

“Oh well.” Y/N shrugs as she smirks lightly, looking at the duo in interest. “It’s not like we’re not used to dealin’ with troublesome duos.” 

Looking back at Inarizaki’s side, Hinata makes eye contact with Oomimi before he turns away. _‘That guy with a scary face almost caught onto my feint…’_

Once he finally regains his senses, Atsumu slumps slightly as he starts to fanboy. 

“That’s so cool…!” Atsumu mutters to himself as he looks over the court in awe. “Seein’ it up close makes it even cooler…!” 

“Why is it that when yer in the middle of a game, your mental age drops by five years?” Osamu deadpans. 

“Shut it!” 

Spinning the ball in his hand, Kageyama prepares for his serve as the Inarizaki band starts to beat the drums, as Karasuno gets taken surprise. 

_Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun._

Starting with the bass drum and followed by various other percussion instruments, the Inarizaki band creates a beat that slowly speeds up. And as Kageyama tosses the ball into the air for his serve, he notices something off as he hits it over to Inarizaki’s side. 

_‘The serve toss was a little off…’_ He thinks to himself as his serve hits the net. 

“Ogh-!” Akagi dives for the ball as he gets it up. 

_“That’s in! The receive was a little sloppy!”_

Carefully watching the ball, Atsumu expertly swivels around and takes a polished step across the court. 

_‘That is a flawless ‘first step’.’_ Kageyama thinks to himself as he watches Atsumu jump up to set the ball, sending the ball to Oomimi as Karasuno gets taken by surprise. 

_‘They’re actually going to do a Quick from all the way over there?!’_

Spiking the ball, Oomimi hits it down onto Karasuno’s court. 

_Inarizaki [05 – 03] Karasuno_

_“If the opponent’s middle blocker scores a point on you, you pay it back with your own middle blocker. Truly splendid, and what competitive spirit.”_

“Nice serve!” The cheer squad calls as Osamu prepares for his serve, walking to the end line and waiting. 

_FWEET!_

Osamu waits in silence as he stares across the court, getting everyone to wait in anticipation as they wait for him. Watching him carefully, Karasuno prepares themselves for Osamu’s serve. 

Just as the eight seconds nears its end, Osamu tosses the ball into the air and sends a powerful jump serve over the net. 

“Nishinoya!” 

“Hmpf!” Nishinoya groans as he gets the ball up. ‘Tch, I was half a step too slow.’ 

_‘Hnn… right at the libero…’_ Osamu thinks to himself as he watches Tanaka spike the ball down, not even bothering to try and get it up. 

_Inarizaki [05 – 04] Karasuno_

“‘Samu! Ya lazy bum! Go after the ball!” Atsumu complains as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“I couldn’t get that one even if I tried.” He deadpans. “I’ll exhaust all my stamina if I just chance after every ball. I guess an immature child wouldn’t understand preservation of strength.” 

“Huh?! What was that?!” 

“Exactly.” 

“Oi, stop fightin’!” Ojiro groans as the twins ignore him. 

_“Karasuno’s Coach Takeda Ittetsu mentioned earlier that, ‘We won’t lose out in terms of offensive capabilities.’ If Karasuno wants to ride out the waves of their momentum, it would be ideal for them to score a break right about now.”_

_“Scoring a point on the serve would be nice too.”_

Tanaka takes a deep breath as he prepares himself for his serve, trying to concentrate as he remains calm. Just as the referee signals for his serve, the Inarizaki band starts to beat their drums again, gradually increasing speed as the audience begins to clap along. 

Tossing the ball in the air, Tanaka jumps up as he hits a powerful spike serve, but it gets caught in the net. 

_Inarizaki [06 – 04] Karasuno_

“Arghhhh-!!” 

_“Oh my, looks like that one just caught the tape.”_

“Karasuno’s gettin’ caught up with the band.” Coach Oomi observes as he glances to the audience. “That’s good, the rhythm of the game is on our side.” 

“Hmm… I don’t know. I mean, from all the tapes we’ve watched, these things don’t bother Karasuno for long.” Y/N shrugs as she watches the Karasuno members carefully. “Besides, they’re a slow starter.” 

“Nice serve!” 

_FWEET!_

Bouncing the ball on the floor, Ojiro calmly exhales as he prepares for his serve. Tossing the ball up into the air, Ojiro jumps up. 

_BAM!_

The ball rockets over the net and smashes onto Karasuno’s court before they can even react. 

_Inarizaki [07 – 04] Karasuno_

“Yeah!!” Ojiro cheers as the rest of the audience starts to chant for him, excitedly clapping along. 

_“Now that was an intense service ace!! Inarizaki High School has already scored their second service ace! The margin begins to widen!”_

“No-touch service ace…” Y/N mutters to herself as she smiles. “They’re really in top form today.” 

_Karasuno High School_  
_First Timeout_

The Inarizaki team returns to the bench as Y/N hands their bottles to them before they turn their attention to the coaches. 

“Atsumu! Your first serve was kind off eh~?” Coach Kurosu asks as Atsumu flinches. “Gettin’ distracted by the cheering and whatnot I see~” 

Gritting his teeth, Atsumu glares at Osamu and Ojrio as the smirk at him, always enjoying whenever Atsumu gets told off. 

Suddenly, the sound of taiko drums echoes through the gym as Y/N turns around to look at Karasuno’s cheering section. Eyes widening in surprise at what she sees. 

“Damn, a taiko?” Osamu asks as he looks over as well. 

“Looks like it.” Suna responds as he shrugs, not really caring. 

“That’s so cool…” Atsumu mutters out in awe as he watches them. “But I like our band better! We’re totally cooler!” 

“I personally enjoy the use of traditional instruments.” Kita says as they all turn to him. “I’m sure that granny will enjoy them too.” 

“Nice serve!” 

Ojiro walks to the end line and prepares for his second serve, tossing the ball into the air as he jumps up. 

_BAM!_

“Nngh-!” Tanaka winces as he manages to get it up, Kageyama instantly runs over and sets the ball to Hinata, who hits it over the net before Inarizaki can properly prepare. 

_Inarizaki [07 – 05] Karasuno_

“Let’s go, let’s go, Shouyou! Push ‘em, push ‘em, Shouyou! Give us one more!” 

“Damn… they’re so cool.” Y/N says as she watches the taiko team. “I really like their uniform too…” 

“Focus, Y/N.” Coach Kurosu deadpans as Y/N shrugs. 

The high-pitched sound of the shinobue flute pierces through the air as the taiko team supports Karasuno from behind while Hinata prepares for his serve. He smiles faintly to himself as he tosses the ball into the air and sends his serve over. 

“Aran!” “Got it!” 

Positioning himself, Atsumu jumps up to set the ball as both Oomimi and Ginjima run out for a double quick. 

“Gin!” 

Karasuno’s blockers instantly line up to block the cross shot as Ginjima hits a straight. Surprisingly, Hinata shifts to the side as he positions himself to receive Ginjima’s spike. 

But the ball slips through his arms before he can position them, and bounces off his foot. 

“WHAT THE HECK?!!?” Coach Kurosu, Atsumu and Ojiro yell as Y/N dies of laughter in the background. 

Recovering from his embarrassment, Hinata instantly starts running up for a back row, minus tempo attack as Kageyama sets the ball, Oomimi instantly jumping up to block him. 

“Daichi-san!” 

“Ah?!” Hinata yells out as Sawamura jumps up to spike the ball, taking Ginjima and Oomimi by surprise as they go over to block him, Oomimi jumping up for a second time. 

_Inarizaki [07 – 06] Karasuno_

_“Sawamura from the right! Honestly, I thought it would be Hinata Shouyou again this time! Inarizaki also seems to be too overly aware of Hinata-kun~ But I can totally understand why.”_

_“Karasuno’s good vibes have returned!”_

“That Hinata kid really has a strong presence.” Y/N observes as Coach Kurosu sighs and nods. 

“Yeah~ He’s gonna be bad news.” 

“…It’s okay.” Y/N says after a moment as she watches over the game. “We’ll handle it.” 

_Inarizaki [09 – 07] Karasuno_

“Critical hit!!!” 

Rotating for his serve, Atsumu collects the ball as he prepares himself, taking four steps from the end line as he stares at Karasuno’s side, stance unwavering as they shift forwards a little. 

“Bring it!!” 

_‘Even if you know about the number of steps…’_ Osamu thinks to himself, covering the back of his head as Atsumu tosses the ball into the air. _‘That’s just the tip of the iceberg.’_

_BAM!_

Before he knows it, the ball flashes in front of his face as Nishinoya fails to get it up. It slips through his fingers as it falls to the ground. 

_Inarizaki [10 – 07] Karasuno_

“Eeep-!!” 

_“ANOTHER SERVICE ACE!! THAT’S SOME SKILLFUL COMMAND OF TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF INTENSE SERVES… MIYA ATSUMU!!”_

_“Oh my, what a nice serve! The strength of a serve directly ties in to the overall strength of the team, you know? If they don’t put a halt to this, then Karasuno High School will be in for some hard times moving forward.”_

“Nice serve, Atsumu!” Ginjima cheers as Atsumu smirks. 

“Of course~” Atsumu responds before he turns his gaze over the net, dropping his smirk as he watches the Karasuno team carefully. “Hmm…” 

“Heeey ‘Samu.” 

“What’s up, ‘Tsumu?” 

“Don’t mess up the timing of the attack, ‘kay?” Atsumu asks before turning away to prepare for his second serve. Watching his back, Osamu groans in disgust as he silently accepts his responsibilities. 

Taking four steps from the end line, Atsumu tosses the ball into the air as he runs up and jumps for his serve. 

“Hnnng-!” Nishinoya groans as he barely manages to get an overhand on it. “Nnngh…” 

“Asahi-san!” “Kuh!” 

“Got it!” Akagi calls as he bumps the ball up. 

Watching the ball, Osamu reluctantly runs up for an attack as Atsumu positions to set the ball, taking Kageyama and Y/N by surprise. 

_‘Wait, are they seriously-’_

Positioning themselves, the twins prepare for their attack. 

_‘At this place… At this angle… At this time…’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he swivels his body and sets the ball to Osamu, who’s already in the air. _‘Dead on.’_

_BAM!_

The ball bounces off of Karasuno’s court before they can even begin to comprehend what just happened. 

_Inarizaki [11 – 07] Karasuno_

Atsumu gasps excitedly in delight at their successful attack Osamu sighs tiredly. 

_‘He seriously just directed that toss towards me.’_ Osamu mentally deadpans as he stares at his brother in mild disgust. 

Facepalming, Y/N sighs to herself as she tries to process what she just saw. It’s not unusual for the twins to pull off random, unpractised attacks every now and then, but this is pushing it a little. Lifting her head to watch them, Y/N sighs again. There’s no way she’s going to tell them that she’s impressed. 

_“Now that’s fast! Miya Osamu from the right!!”_

_“That was the quickest we’ve seen today!”_

“Uwah, you seriously went ahead and did it…” Suna mutters as Atsumu laughs. 

“There’s no way I could ever be as precise as Tobio-kun, but y’know…” Atsumu trails off as he smiles excitedly. “You get the urge to imitate those flashy moves, right? Hehehe~” 

_“That was a flawless set up, and Osamu-kun hit it perfectly too!”_

_“I suppose we could say that that’s the perfect non-verbal communication between the twins!”_

“That’s the sense of implicit faith that twins would have…!” Ojiro trails off excitedly. “Brotherly relationships are so nice…!” 

Suddenly having flashbacks of every big fight the twins have ever had, Y/N shakes her head to try and dispel of those memories. Ojiro said that brotherly relationships are nice, so we will pretend they are nice. 

Thinking to himself, Osamu moves back into position for Atsumu’s third serve. _‘Trust… it’s not like I have faith in ‘Tsumu or anythin’ like that.’_

_‘I mean, he never listens to me. He never gives back what he borrows. He’s a habitual liar. But it’s not like I really need faith in him…’ Osamu thinks to himself has he looks over the court._

_‘…Cuz I know the ball’s gonna be there.’_

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu sends his third serve over. 

“Daichi-san!” Nishinoya calls as he bumps up the ball. “Asahi-san!” 

_BAM!_

Asahi spikes the ball as it flings off of Ginjima’s arm and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [11 – 08] Karasuno_

_“Atsumu’s serves have somehow been put to an end!”_

“For now.” Y/N says simply, as she watches Asahi prepare for his serve. “Honestly, Karasuno’s been doin’ a good job at keepin’ up with us, so I’ll give ‘em that.” 

“We’re still maintainin’ a point lead though, so they’re gonna needa close the gap if they wanna take the set.” Coach Kurosu says as Y/N nods. 

“That’s true~” 

_“We have another lightning fast one, Miya Osamu!! This is a level that holds its own to the Karasuno first year combination!”_

_“That was scored from a pretty difficult angle, Atsumu-kun provided a clean set up there.”_

Turning around, Osamu sighs at his brother. “You’re revoltin’…” 

“Aww shucks! I’m not worthy of such praise!” Atsumu laughs as he scratches the back of his head. 

The match continues as both teams continue to score points off of each other, although the point gap maintains as Hinata enters the court. 

_Inarizaki [12 – 10] Karasuno_

“That shrimpy kid’s watchin’ ya carefully, ‘Samu.” Atsumu says as the rest of the team listens in. “Let’s bait him into thinkin’ we’re gonna do another quick.” 

Osamu nods as they continue listening. 

“Also… I noticed somethin’ from their match yesterday, and their one with Shiratorizawa.” Atsumu continues. “The more botched the receives are, the more likely Tobio-kun aims for a Quick Attack. So Suna, try break their formation when I set to ya.” 

“Okay.” Suna says simply as they all move into their positions for Tsukishima’s serve. 

“Alright!” Akagi calls as the twins start running, Hinata instantly taking notice of Osamu as he runs up to block him, only for Atsumu to set to Suna. 

“Ah-!!” 

Suna spikes the ball down as Sawamura barely manages to get it up. 

“There we go~” Suna chimes as Sawamura grits his teeth. 

“My bad! Cover!” 

_“Miya Osamu has baited the blockers, leaving Suna to take the centre!”_

Atsumu watches Kageyama carefully as he runs up to set the ball from the awkward position. _‘At this very moment… He’s going to use Shouyou-kun.’_

Hinata spikes the ball as Osamu, Suna and Ojiro jump up to block him, managing to block him completely as the ball falls onto the court. 

_Inarizaki [13 – 10] Karasuno_

_“Ahh!!! It’s a complete shut down!! Inarizaki have shot down the ‘originals’!!”_

Kageyama and Hinata glare over the net as Atsumu notices them and smiles widely, challenging them to try again. 

Turning away, they all prepare for the next point. 

_Inarizaki [14 – 11] Karasuno_

_“Miya Osamu from the right! The Miya brothers are unstoppable!!”_

_“Inarizaki has rightfully earned the reputation for always trying out novel things during official matches, good or bad.”_

_“They truly are ‘The Strongest Challengers’!”_

_“Inarizaki are continuously sharpening their fangs, in order to bring down the Kings of the East!”_

“The commentators seem to be havin’ the time of their lives right now.” Y/N says as Coach Kurosu laughs. 

“Brings interest to the game~” 

Sensing someone staring at him, Atsumu turns around as is taken aback by Hinata’s intense glare. “Wha… Whaddya want?” 

Ojiro spikes the ball down as Nishinoya barely manages to get it up. 

“Hnng-!” 

Instantly running over to recover from the receive, Kageyama quickly sets to Hinata, who’s already waiting in the air to spike the ball. 

_‘That’s so typically untypical, Tobio-kun!’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he grins, jumping up with Oomimi to block Hinata as he spikes the ball. 

“Out!” Ginjima calls as Atsumu looks back in surprise. 

The referee signals that it’s Karasuno’s point due to ball contact. 

_Inarizaki [14 – 12] Karasuno_

_“A ball that landed out has actually been touched by the blockers! That’s a point to Karasuno!”_

“Oohhh…!” Atsumu looks over to Hinata in awe as he holds his hand up, surprised that he’d managed to aim it perfectly for him to touch the ball. Looking at his hand, Atsumu squeezes it tightly as he grins. He won’t lose. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 14] Karasuno_

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu hits a powerful serve, but it hits the net. 

“Oop!” 

_‘Net in!’_ Sawamura dives for the ball as he barely manages to get it up, Kageyama nudging it over the net. 

“Gin!” “Got it!” 

Osamu and Suna both run up to attack as Atsumu positions himself to set the ball. Tsukishima watches everyone carefully as he glances around the court, taking not of everything he sees. As soon as the ball leaves Atsumu’s fingertips, Tsukishima instantly runs over to block Osamu’s Quick Attack, taking everyone by surprise. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 15] Karasuno_

_“Karasuno’s the one who’s stuffed it this time! The first year who blocked the Miya brothers, Tsukishima Kei!!”_

“Ohh… so his name does start with K…” Y/N mutters to herself as Coach Kurosu glances over to her. 

“What?” 

“Nothing nothing~” Y/N waves him off as she turns her attention back to the court, watching as Karasuno cheers and congratulates a very tired and reluctant Tsukishima. Looking over to Kageyama and Hinata, Tsukishima stares at them as he straightens up a little. 

“I wanted to try blocking that.” 

“Wha…” Atsumu trails off as Osamu also looks at him in interest. Kageyama glares at Tsukishima as Hinata shivers in fear. They’ll all have to watch out for Tsukishima’s blocks. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 16] Karasuno_

Ginjima smashes a powerful serve over to Karasuno’s side as Sawamura shifts to the side to get it up. 

_‘Damn, every last on of them is firing strong serves at us…!’_

Moving into position, Tsukishima watches the ball as he runs up to spike. 

Kageyama tosses a high ball. _‘Get up here!’_

_‘Why that little…!’_ Tsukishima reaches for the ball as he spikes it down, taking Suna by surprise at the height of the spike. 

_‘Okay, this is way higher than anything he hit in the Shiratorizawa game.’_ He thinks to himself as the ball bounces off the court. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 17] Karasuno_

_“He scores!! Tsukishima Kei shines in both attack and defence!!”_

_“That was pretty high! The blocker reacted on point, but it went over his head!”_

Observing Kageyama carefully, Atsumu thinks to himself. _‘It hasn’t been that long since the Youth Camp… What happened to ya, Tobio-kun?’_

“He hasn’t played like this before, not in the tapes we watched at least.” Osamu as Tsukishima’s rotated to the back and Hinata enters the court. “Did he play like that at Youth Camp?” 

“Nope~ He was totally a goody-two-shoes.” Atsumu chimes as Osamu nods, turning their backs to Karasuno. “Their block has collapsed! Let’s take our points back in one go!” 

“WHAT?!” Hinata yells as Atsumu ignores him. 

_“Seems like Karasuno’s sending out their pinch server, Kinoshita Hisashi, let’s see if he hits some good serves!”_

_FWEET!_

Kinoshita tosses the ball into the air as he sends a float serve over to Akagi. 

“Hnng-!” 

_“Setter Miya Atsumu makes his move!”_

_‘We got this…!’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he grins, tossing the ball to Osamu. 

But Hinata blocks him, taking them by surprise. 

Hinata gasps in shock and delight as the ball falls onto the court. _‘I stuffed it!!’_

_Inarizaki [18 – 18] Karasuno_

_“SCORE!! 164cm has blocked out 183cm!! Karasuno High School have drawn even for the first time!”_

_‘That just renewed my awe of his jumping power… He just appeared in my line of sight seemingly out of thin air.’_ Osamu thinks to himself as he turns to Atsumu. “A commit block… that caught me off guard.” 

“Yeah, I know right~” Atsumu chimes. 

“We’ll get the next point.” Ojiro says as he gets their attention. “One block doesn’t really do much.” 

“Yeah, we know~” 

“One touch!” Oomimi calls as he gets a hand on Hinata’s spike. 

“Chance ball!” 

Running up, Osamu spikes the ball in front of Hinata as Sawamura barely gets it up. 

“Guh-!” 

_“Libero Nishinoya keeps the ball in the air! The ball flies directly above the net!”_

Osamu and Hinata both jump up for the joust as Atsumu watches them. 

_‘Damn… He really does get off the ground.’_ He thinks to himself as he smiles. ‘That said, there’s nothing more to it really.’ 

Osamu easily pushes the ball down onto Karasuno’s side as Hinata flinches in surprise, falling to the floor as the ball bounces on the court. He glares at Osamu as he looks up at him, while Osamu boredly stares down on him. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 18] Karasuno_

_“Inarizaki pushes through the joust at the net!! Height difference matters every now and then!”_

_“The point difference widens once again for Karasuno High School. Inarizaki High School break!”_

Taking the opportunity, Osamu looks down on Hinata. “Oh, what’s this?” Osamu taunts as Hinata glares at him from below. “It’s much less resistance than I thought there’d be…” 

“Why you…” Hinata grits his teeth as Osamu shrugs and walks away. 

_Karasuno High School_  
_Second Timeout_

“D’ya think Number 10 jumping out like that was another one of their plays? Or was it just a coincidence?” Akagi asks as he accepts the drink bottle Y/N hands to him. “Thanks.” 

“It was only once, but he did somethin’ similar at the end of the Shiratorizawa match too.” Atsumu responds. 

“But you can’t really call it a ‘play’ if they’ve only used it twice.” Akagi says as Coach Kurosu interrupts them. 

“Heeey! Don’t make me repeat myself. If you let their Number 10 steal all your attention, you’re just playin’ right into Karasuno’s hands. If you show a big reaction every time you screw up, you’ll just be lettin’ ‘em taste victory, and they’ll keep comin’ back for more!” Coach Kurosu says as he crosses his arms. “Same goes for dogs, y’know? It’s hardest on ‘em if you just ignore them.” 

_‘He’s making dog analogies again… He’s been doin’ that a lot lately…’_ They all internally sweat drop. 

“There’s times when you play it by ear, and times when you go in unwaveringly. And there’s an important distinction between the two.” Coach Kurosu says as they all listen carefully. “The second half is when your read blocks’ll start bein’ the most effective anyways.” 

“Yeeep.” 

“Anyway, d’ya have anything you wanna say, Y/N?” Coach Kurosu asks as he turns to her. 

“Actually, I do.” Y/N confirms as they perk up in interest. 

“Ohh? What is it?” Atsumu asks curiously. 

“Aim your serves at their Number 5.” Y/N instructs. “The rest of their team’s in good shape, but… their Number 5 hasn’t had many good moments yet, today at least anyway. If we wanna drag ‘em down, we’ll have to start with their weakest link.” 

“Sounds brutal, I’m in.” Suna chimes as the rest of them nod. 

“You don’t hafta do anything straight away… But when you get the chance…” Y/N trails off as she smirks slightly. “Target him. And make sure he knows you’re targetin’ him.” 

_Inarizaki [22 – 22] Karasuno_

_“It seems like Karasuno is sending in their Pinch Server Yamaguchi Tadashi!”_

The Inarizaki team watches Yamaguchi closely as he nervously walks onto the court, glancing at them slightly before quickly turning away. He does his best to focus on his serve. 

Once he regains his senses and concentrates, Yamaguchi tosses the ball into the air as he sends a jump floater over, aiming for Ojiro as it bounces off his outstretched arms and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 23] Karasuno_

_“HERE IT IS! A SERVICE ACE!!! AND IT’S BY PINCH SERVER YAMAGUCHI TADASHI! HE PROVES HIS WORTH AS A RELIEVER!”_

_“Karasuno High School are the ones to break the balance! They’ve turned the tables!”_

“Uwah! He got us!” Atsumu gasps in shock as Ginjima flinches. 

“Shut up, Atsumu!” Ginjima whisper yells as Ojiro covers his face in shame. 

“Sorry…!” 

“Now look what you’ve done!” Ginjima groans as Atsumu nervously chuckles. 

_“Will Karasuno High School be able to keep their lead?!”_

Yamaguchi tosses the ball into the air as he sends his second serve over, Ojiro manages to get it up this time. 

“Nice receive!” Atsumu cheers as he sends a quick set to Oomimi who spikes it down as it bounces off of Yamaguchi’s arms, flying out of bounds as Tanaka runs after it. But he doesn’t make it in time. 

_Inarizaki [23 – 23] Karasuno_

“Damn you…” Tanaka groans as Inarizaki sends out their own Pinch Server, Kosaku Yuuto. 

“Nice serve!” 

Tossing the ball into the air, Kosaku sends a powerful spike serve over to Sawamura as he tries to bump it up, but it flings across the net. 

_“That was an intense one! It knocked the receiver back!”_

Kageyama keeps his eyes trained on the ball as he runs under the net to chase the ball, setting the ball from beside Inarizaki’s court. 

_“The setter Kageyama connects!! He connected with it!!!”_

“That’s insane!” Y/N gasps in awe as Kageyama quickly runs back to Karasuno’s court. 

_“Ah, it’s sent to a difficult spot!”_

“Oh…” Nishinoya trails off as he glances to the side, watching as Asahi jumps up and spikes the ball. 

_Inarizaki [23 – 24] Karasuno_

_“There goes the last blow!! It’s a block out!! Karasuno’s Azumane confidently smashed down that difficult ball!”_

“I ended up shooting at their Number 1, even though I was told to aim for Number 5…” Kosaku groans as he leaves the court. 

“Don’t mind! That was close!” 

“It’s alright, that was a powerful serve.” Y/N says as she looks at him. “Besides, we’ll have plenty of opportunities from here.” 

_“Karasuno High School are the first ones to reach set point!! In order to win the set, they’ll need to break one more time! Will they snatch the set away using their current momentum? Or will ‘One More Point’ become a great hurdle for them to overcome?”_

_“If Inarizaki High School manages to take this point, their next serve will be hit by their big server Miya Atsumu-kun afterall. So of course, Karasuno will want to decide the set with this point.”_

Azumane spikes the ball down as Akagi manages to get it up. Atsumu sets the ball to Ginjima as he spikes it down, but Sawamura dives for the ball to keep it in play. 

_‘There’s still a chance…!’_ They think to themselves as Kageyama jumps up and sets the ball to Tanaka. _‘And that chance is here!!’_

Suna keeps his eyes trained on Tanaka as he, Atsumu and Ginjima jump up to block him, successfully shutting him down. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 24] Karasuno_

_“A shut down! Inarizaki High School’s blockers won’t let them take the point so easily!!”_

_“Wow. The one who blocked it was the middle blocker Suna Rintarou?”_

_“That’s right. And the two to his sides gathered in tight as well! What a splendid block!”_

“Nice…!” Y/N quickly cheers as she clenches her fist, watching as Tanaka slaps his face in attempts to calm himself down. Smiling lightly, Y/N turns her eyes to Atsumu. It’s his serve now. 

Taking six steps from the end line, Atsumu turns around and stares directly at Tanaka, letting him know that he’s being targeted. 

_‘He’s coming… for me.’_ He thinks to himself as he smiles. _‘Being aimed at, is the usual for me.’_

“BRING IT ON!!” Tanaka yells as Atsumu tosses the ball into the air, sending a powerful spike serve over. 

_‘That one felt good…!’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he grins. 

Tanaka positions himself to receive the ball, but Nishinoya shifts in front of him and bumps it up. “YEAHH!!!” 

“WHAAAT?!!” Atsumu groans as the Kageyama jumps up to set the ball. 

Suna and Ginjima watch Kageyama carefully as they wait for him to toss the ball, completely aware of all the attackers running up to spike the ball. Sawamura jumps up for a back attack behind Tsukishima, taking them by surprise as they quickly line up to block him, but they weren’t fast enough. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 25] Karasuno_

_“Sawamura comes in from behind!! He scores! That was a nice course!”_

_“Karasuno High School cuts off Miya Atsumu on his first serve! And they’re once again at set point!!”_

“They got us…” Atsumu states matter-of-factly as he glances over the net, sighing to himself as he rotates. “Oh well~” 

“Daichi-san! Nice kill!” Tanaka cheers as Suna watches him carefully before turning away in preparation for Azumane’s serve. 

Hitting his serve over the net, Akagi successfully receives the ball as Atsumu jumps up to set it to Osamu. But they don’t line up. 

“Oh crap!!” Atsumu winces. 

“YOU MORON!” Coach Kurosu yells from the bench as Y/N snorts, covering her mouth to try stop her laughter. 

_“Oh no, this isn’t going to work out!”_

“Kuh-!” Osamu winces as he manages to use his left hand to hit it over the net. 

_“But, Miya Osamu does a nice save!”_

Suna keeps his eyes trained on the ball as he watches carefully, swiftly running across the court to block Tanaka with Osamu. 

_‘He’s fast…!’_ Tsukishima thinks to himself as Suna successfully blocks Tanaka, taking him by surprise. 

_‘All the spots we could slip through up till now… The time it takes for them to fully put up a block is getting shorter…!’_ Tanaka thinks to himself as Suna stares at him with bored eyes. 

“Hng-!” Nishinoya groans as he dives for the ball, managing to keep it in play. 

_“The Inarizaki blockers are getting sharper!”_

Atsumu tosses the ball into the air and sets to Suna as Tsukishima and Tanaka quickly line up to block him. Twisting his torso, Suna spikes to the side of Tsukishima’s block as Sawamura manages to save it. 

_‘We blocked off the course though…’_ Tsukishima thinks to himself in surprise as he looks over his shoulder. 

_‘Oops, I used too much strength.’_ Suna internally deadpans. 

“Tanaka!” 

Suna, Osamu and Ginjima instantly line up to block Tanaka as he jumps up to spike the ball as he tries to avoid them. 

Out. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 25] Karasuno_

_“That spike was regrettably on the wrong side of the line, so it’s a point to Inarizaki. The pressure exerted by the blockers is immense, you can’t help but feel it!”_

“Lucky!” Atsumu cheers as Osamu glares at him. 

“You’re right about that.” Osamu deadpans. “You owe me a pudding. And not one of those cheap three-pack ones.” 

“I said I was sorry!” 

Glancing at Suna, Tsukishima thinks to himself as he observes him. _‘Earlier… I was sure that I could stop it, or at least get a hand on it…’_

Suna boredly moves into position for Ginjima’s serve. 

“Bring it on!!” Tanaka yells. 

_‘Aww come on, you’re supposed to start clamming up and looking away from your teammates in shame…’_ Suna thinks to himself as Ginjima sends over his serve. 

_“It’s a net-in serve! Kageyama just barely manages to save it!”_

“I got it!” Tsukishima calls as he positions himself under the ball, ignoring Tanaka as he calls for him. “Azumane-san!” 

_“Karasuno decides to go with a back attack with Azumane!”_

_Inarizaki [25 – 26] Karasuno_

_“And with that, Karasuno manages to slip away from Inarizaki’s grasp!”_

“We’ll get the next one!” Akagi calls as Tsukishima rotates for his serve. Sending the ball over the net as Ojiro gets it up. 

Running up to spike, Osamu jumps up as Atsumu sets the ball to him, being forced to hit a straight as Karasuno’s blockers block the cross. Sawamura manages to get it up. 

Running over to set the ball, Kageyama glances at Tanaka as he calls for the ball. 

“LEFT!!!” 

Grinning to himself, Kageyama sets the ball to Tanaka as he jumps up to spike. Suna follows quickly as both he and Osamu jump up to block him. _‘Their block is so fast…!’_

Gritting his teeth, Tanaka hits an amazingly sharp cross shot as Suna watches the ball slam onto their court in shock. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 27] Karasuno_

“AWWW YEAHHH!!!!” Tanaka cheers as his teammates run up to celebrate. 

_“KARASUNO HIGH SCHOOL TAKES THE FIRST SET!! AGAINST THE ‘STRONGEST CHALLENGERS’ INARIZAKI!! THE ‘UNKNOWN VETERAN’ SNATCHES THE FIRST SET!!”_

_“THIS IS AN MAJOR UPSET RIGHT FROM THE START!!”_

“Relax, they’re makin’ it sound like we just lost the whole match.” Y/N deadpans. 

The Inarizaki team leaves the court as the Y/N and the coaches gather their things to change courts. Y/N glances up at Suna as she smirks. 

“Couldn’t get him, huh?” 

“You sound glad.” Suna deadpans as she rolls her eyes. 

“Very funny, a lost set is a lost set.” She shrugs as they move to the other side of the court. “But it’s okay, you’ll get the next one.” 

“You sound confident.” Suna says as she smiles. 

“Of course~” She chuckles, glancing at him again. “I’m always confident in my teammates.” 

* * *

_Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – Second Set_

Atsumu sets the ball to Ojiro as he jumps up to spike, smashing it down onto Karasuno’s court. 

_BAM!_

_Inarizaki [14 – 07] Karasuno_

_“Ojiro Aran from the back! That was a powerful back attack!!”_

_“The first set may have been swept away by Karasuno, the Unknown Powerhouse of Old, but they’re having trouble closing the widening gap in points!”_

Clenching his fist, Atsumu tosses the ball into the air for his serves as he aims his serve at Nishinoya, who fails to get it up. 

_Inarizaki [15 – 07] Karasuno_

“Yeah!!” Atsumu cheers in excitement as the crowd starts cheering for him. He excitedly turns his gaze to Nishinoya as he watches him carefully. He’ll keep targeting him. 

_Karasuno High School_  
_First Timeout_

Turning to his teammates, Atsumu smiles. 

“Doesn’t it feel good to score a service ace off powerful opponents?” 

“…” Ojiro and Oomimi choose not to respond as they stare at him. 

“Oops, there it is.” Suna mutters as Atsumu glances at him. 

“There what is?” 

“There’s that thing Atsumu does where he puts such little brainpower into what he says that it shocks people.” 

“HUH?! THE HECK!! RUDE!!” 

“Y’know, they say the truth hurts.” Y/N chimes as they glance at her. “So if yer gettin’ hurt by Rintarou’s words… then perhaps…” 

“Oi! Shut it!” 

“They always try to silence and oppress those that know the truth…” 

“The hell are you talkin’ about?” Atsumu mutters as the timeout ends, smiling as he re-enters the court and makes eye contact with Nishinoya. 

Taking four steps from the end line, Atsumu sends another jump floater over to Nishinoya as he shifts to the side to get it up, but it drops onto the court. 

_Inarizaki [16 – 07] Karasuno_

_“Miya Atsumu scores two consecutive service aces against the opponent’s libero! Miya Atsumu has finally shown us his true abilities!”_

Atsumu smiles to himself as he pumps his first into the air, silently celebrating as the crowds cheer behind him. 

Suddenly, Nishinoya drops to the ground as he starts doing finger push ups, taking everyone by surprise. Jumping up, Nishinoya keeps his stance as he stares directly at Atsumu, prepared for his next serve. 

“Dude, you are the best.” Atsumu says as he sends his third serve over. Diving forwards, Nishinoya manages to get it up. 

“Asahi-san!” Tanaka calls as Azumane hits the ball and aims at Atsumu. 

“Oh!” 

_“Miya Atsumu has the first touch! Meanwhile, Miya Osamu has immediately positioned himself underneath the ball!”_

Jumping up, Osamu sends a quick set to Suna as he jumps up to spike the ball. 

_‘I’ve considered this possibility.’_ Tsukishima thinks to himself as he jumps up to block Suna. _‘I’ll block you.’_

“Wha?!” Atsumu blinks in surprise as he and Osamu get taken aback. 

Twisting his torso, Suna easily spikes the ball to the side of Tsukishima’s block as it falls onto Karasuno’s court. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 07] Karasuno_

“Nice kill! Rintarou! Nice kill! Rintarou! Jump, jump, Rintarou! Give us another!” 

_“Habuka-san, the one who did the toss just now was not the setter, but Miya Osamu, right?”_

_“It’s not unusual to see a setup done by a player other than the team setter, but to see a first tempo quick attack unleashed right in the middle of a rally like it was nothing… Well, I guess I don’t know what to say except that this is what you’d expect from these guys.”_

_“Just when you think you’ve dealt with Miya Atsumu, there’s Miya Osamu. Then when you think you’ve dealt with Miya Osamu, there’s Suna. They just keep on coming!”_

“Don’t worry.” Suna says as he gets Tsukishima’s attention, smiling at him. “You’re still pretty good at blocking.” 

“Ew, piss off…” Tsukishima mutters as he prepares for Atsumu’s fourth serve. 

_“Inarizaki is unstoppable!”_

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu sends another powerful serve over. 

“OUT!” 

_Inarizaki [17 – 08] Karasuno_

“Nngh!” Atsumu groans to himself as Osamu smirks. 

“Heh, loser.” 

“Shut it!” 

Azumane tosses the ball into the air for his first serve, sending a powerful serve over the net. 

“Aran!” 

Ojiro gets taken by surprise as he stumbles to receive the ball, watching as it flings off of his outstretched arms and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [17 – 09] Karasuno_

_“Azumane scores with a fierce service ace! His serve has been a bit lacking in the second set, so it’s great to see that he’s starting to make a comeback here!”_

“Sorry!” Ojiro calls out as Azumane prepares for his second serve. 

_BAM!_

“Aran!” 

Ojiro manages to get the ball up this time as Atsumu sets the ball to Suna. Tsukishima and Kageyama instantly jump up to block him. 

_‘You’re good.’_ Suna thinks to himself as he twists his torso and spikes to the side of their block, catching them by surprise once again. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 09] Karasuno_

_‘The higher level a blocker is, the easier it is for Suna to make them move just the way he wants.’_

Suna smiles over the net to Tsukishima tauntingly as Tsukishima glares, turning away to prepare for the next point. 

“Rintarou’s makin’ enemies with middle blockers again.” Y/N deadpans as Coach Kurosu laughs. 

“Our team’s constantly makin’ enemies with everyone~” He chimes as Y/N sighs. 

“That’s true.” 

Tossing the ball into the air, Ginjima sends a powerful serve over to Karasuno’s side. 

_“Now that’s a powerful serve! And equally amazing was that receive! Way to pick it up! Inarizaki’s serves just keep getting better and better! That was an amazing course!”_

Jumping up to spike, Tsukishima gets taken by surprise as Suna jumps up to block him. 

“One touch!” 

“Left!” Ojiro calls as Atsumu jumps up and tosses to him, three blockers lining up to stop him. 

_BAM!_

_“A thunderous spike from Ojiro Aran! But the block got a finger on it! The ball is above the net! Kageyama pushes it over!”_

“Akagi!” “Hmph!” 

Akagi dives for the ball as he gets it up, Osamu sends it over to Ojiro again. 

_“It’s gonna be two consecutive spikes from the left by Ojiro Aran!”_

Once again, Karasuno’s three blockers follow him as they jump up to block his spike. 

_BAM!_

_“And he bashes one in, overtaking the three blocker wall! However, Karasuno defended with everything they had to keep it in their court! Now’s their chance to-”_

_BAM!_

Ojiro spikes the ball once again as it smashes onto Karasuno’s court, taking them by surprise. 

_Inarizaki [19 – 09] Karasuno_

_“Ojiro Aran scores with a direct spike! Three consecutive attacks from one man! And none of them were easy to hit! He snatched away that point with overwhelming power alone!”_

“ALRIGHT!!” Ojiro cheers as Suna grins. 

“Yikes.” 

Ginjima sends his second serve over as Azumane manages to get it up. 

“Tanaka-san!” 

_Inarizaki [19 – 10] Karasuno_

_“There it is! An absolutely amazing trajectory for that spike! Karasuno’s Tanaka Ryuunosuke scores, putting a temporary halt to the avalanche-like momentum that Inarizaki has been building up!”_

Holding up the substitution paddle, Sugawara switches with Tsukishima as he enters the court. 

_“Karasuno High School has subbed in their third year Sugawara. I think we can expect a strengthening in their defensive unit with this.”_

“OI!! None of you better be thinking we can afford to drop this set because we won the first one!” Sugawara yells as his teammates flinch in shock. “We’re walking away with this game in straight sets!” 

“Yeah!!” 

Turning away, Sugawara sweats nervously as the Inarizaki team stares at him, watching his every move as he prepares to serve. 

_“Karasuno’s Sugawara decided to target the most delicate of places with that serve. Ojiro Aran manages to get the ball in the air!”_

“Osamu!” 

Osamu spikes the ball as it bounces off of Hinata’s block, but Sugawara manages to save it. 

“Hnnng-!” “Kageyama! Right!” 

Jumping up, Kageyama sends the ball over to Inarizaki’s side as Ojiro manages to get it up with an overhand, startled. 

“Left!” Ojiro calls as he prepares to spike. 

“Yeah yeah.” Atsumu says as he jumps up to set the ball. ‘Is that too low…?!’ 

Spiking the ball, Ojiro gets caught in Karasuno’s block as the ball falls to the floor. Thankfully, it’s out. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 10] Karasuno_

“Whew…” Atsumu sighs in relief. 

“Aran! Maintain your composure!” Coach Oomi calls as Ojiro nods. 

“Yes!” 

Substituting Suna out on the serve, Inarizaki sends out Riseki as a pinch server as he nervously enters the court. 

“Nice serve.” Suna calls as Riseki starts to overthink. 

_‘I was the eternal benchwarmer during the entire three years of my middle school volleyball career. The only time I stood on the court was as a Pinch Server, and I screwed up my serve and that ended with the one shot.’_ Riseki thinks to himself as he gradually gets more and more nervous due to his overthinking. _‘It’s good and all that I made it into powerhouse programs for both middle and high school, but the opportunities to play in an actual match are extremely scarce. This may very well be the first and last time I ever play in high school.’_

Y/N sweat drops from the bench as she watches Riseki start to sweat even though he hasn’t served yet. _‘…Good luck, hope it goes well.’_

“Nice serve!” 

_‘It’s all over if I screw up…’_ Riseki thinks to himself as he tosses the ball into the air. _‘I’ll just take it one step at a time!’_

_“That’s a very solid serve from the first year Riseki Heisuke!”_

Y/N and Coach Kurosu wince at Riseki’s serve, knowing that he held himself back. 

“Asahi!” “Yeah!” 

Hinata jumps up as he hits the ball down onto Inarizaki’s court. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 11] Karasuno_

“Yeahhh-” 

“BOOO!!! WHY’D YOU EVEN BOTHER COMING HERE TODAY?!” 

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!” 

“WE DIDN’T PUT YOU ON THE TEAM SO YOU COULD SPOONFEED SERVES TO THE OTHER TEAM!” 

“Yikes… this is gonna be traumatising…” Y/N mutters to herself as Riseki walks off the court in shame, returning to the bench as he slumps. 

“I told you to go in there and hold nothing back… You always overthink things, man.” 

“I haven’t heard that one in a while.” Suna says as he looks over to the Inarizaki cheer squad. 

“Our team doesn’t need a serve that just safely gets over to the other side, no matter if we’re winning or losing at the time.” Kita says as Riseki flinches in surprise. 

“Yes, Cap’n!” 

Spinning the ball in his hands, Kageyama tosses the ball in the air as he serves. 

_BAM!_

_Inarizaki [20 – 12] Karasuno_

_“NO-TOUCH SERVICE ACE!! SUCH VELOCITY! SUCH ACCURACY!”_

_“You just can’t expect those types of serves to be saved!”_

“Really Tobio? Right after Riseki-kun?” Y/N groans as she sighs. _‘…This isn’t gonna be good.’_

 _Inarizaki High School_  
_First Timeout_

_“Wow, both schools sure have some powerful serves, don’t they Habuka-san?”_

“ _Yeah, goes to show that both sides have a very wide range of offensive tactics, but they are also very powerful. If you don’t shut down fast attack’s like these serves, then you’re well on your way to being on the receiving end of an onslaught.”_

 _“Now, will Kageyama’s serve be the catalyst to Karasuno’s counter attack?!”_

Spinning the ball in his hands, Kageyama sends over another powerful serve as it bounces off of Osamu’s hands and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 13] Karasuno_

_“SCORE!! SERVICE ACE!! Even after the interruption of a timeout, his focus doesn’t falter!”_

“GIVE US ANOTHER!” 

“Gin!” 

“Guh-!” Ginjima manages to bump the ball up as Akagi sends it over to Ojiro. 

“Aran!” 

Karasuno’s three blockers instantly line up with Ojiro as he sends over his spike, trying to evade the blockers. 

“Out!” 

_Inarizaki [20 – 14] Karasuno_

Ojiro winces as he watches the ball, the pressure’s taking a toll on him. 

“…” Coach Kurosu sits in silence as Y/N glances over to him, noticing his apprehension. 

“…I think-” She begins as Coach Kurosu nods solemnly. 

“I know.” 

Tossing the ball into the air, Kageyama sends his fourth serve over as Akagi dives to get it up, but it goes over the net. 

“Damn…!” 

_“This is another intense serve…! The ball returned to Karasuno’s side of the court in one bounce!”_

_“That landed right in the middle ground between the two receivers just now, didn’t it?”_

Swiftly, Kageyama transitions from his serve position to a setup, instantly setting the ball to Hinata before Inarizaki’s blockers can properly position themselves. 

_‘Damn, he’s fast…!’_

But Atsumu receives it, taking them by surprise. 

_‘Don’t be so full of it.’_ He sneers. “‘Samu!” 

Osamu jumps up and sets the ball to Ojiro, who manages to smash it down before Karasuno can react. 

_Inarizaki [21 – 14] Karasuno_

_“This time it’s a score!! Ojiro Aran!! The willpower of the ace is really coming through here!”_

_“A nice setup from Osamu-kun too. Atsumu-kun pulled off a fantastic dig just now. Kageyama Tobio and Miya Atsumu were both National Youth Training Candidates. They are a pair of promising fellow setters.”_

_“Sparks are flying between the two of them even when it doesn’t concern setups!”_

“Nice serve!” 

“‘Samu! Finish up the second set now!!” Atsumu yells. “Also, I’m kickin’ your ass in service ace count!” 

“…Quiet you.” Osamu mutters as he tosses the ball into the air. 

_BAM!_

_‘Crap.’_ Osamu sweat drops as the ball rockets outside the court and hits the scoreboard. 

_Inarizaki [21 – 15] Karasuno_

_“I think a bit too much power went into that, and that’s an out.”_

_“Inarizaki does pull one of these every-so-often haha!”_

_“That was some crazy explosive power, not sure if there was some ire behind the serve or…”_

“THIS AIN’T BASEBALL! NOBODY ASKED FOR A HOME-RUN SERVE!” Atsumu yells as Osamu glares at him. 

_‘It’s not like you’ve never done this before…!’_

“It’s ‘coz you keep spoutin’ garbage!” Ojiro groans as he whacks the back of Atsumu’s head. 

“Owugh-!” 

Y/N and Coach Kurosu sigh as they facepalm on the bench, it’s sad to say but this kind of thing isn’t surprising. 

Tanaka sends over his serve as Ginjima manages to get it up. Atsumu sets to Oomimi who spikes it over to Tanaka. 

“Hnngh-!” 

The ball flies over to Inarizaki’s side of the court as Akagi chases after it, managing to barely hit it back up to his team. 

“Gin!” Osamu calls as he passes the ball to him. Jumping up, Ginjima spikes the ball, but it gets caught in Karasuno’s block. Thankfully, Karasuno loses the point due to a net touch. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 15] Karasuno_

“Let’s fix up our rhythm, guys!” Akagi calls as he claps, trying to get them to relax. 

_FWEET!_

The players on the court instantly glance towards the side. Kita’s holding up the substitution paddle.

_**Member Substitution**_  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #1 Kita Shinsuke_  
_OUT: #4 Ojiro Aran_

 _“Inarizaki High School will now sub another member in! Number 4 Ojiro Aran will be subbed out. Number 1, Captain Kita Shinsuke is subbed in.”_

Swapping places with Kita, Ojiro nods as he takes the substitution paddle, going to sit down on the bench with Y/N and the coaches as he rests. 

Stepping onto the court, Kita senses the entire Karasuno team watching his every move, carefully observing him as he collects the ball for his serve. 

_‘You guys don’t need to be so cautious, I really am just a substitute.’_ Kita thinks to himself as he prepares for his serve. 

_‘I’m just here to tide things over, so you don’t have to be so scared.’_

“NICE SERVE!” The Inarizaki second years yell in fear, acutely aware of Kita’s presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KITA-SAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! _*instantly passes out*_
> 
> This chapter is the longest so far omg I shouldn't have written it in one go but I did anyway and now I'll suffer the consequences XD 
> 
> I've had so much uni work over the past week that it's really taking a toll on me but I guess I'll just have to keep pushing through it :') I've been losing a lot of my little sleep as well so welp... I actually dropped a kilo over the past week as well... :') 
> 
> Anyway! What do you think about the chapter? 🤩🤩 Millions of things happening omg this is such a jam packed chapter and it's past 10am and I haven't slept yet so I haven't proof read this welp :'D I hope it's still good though! 
> 
> Very excited for the next chapter of course :) I always like writing things that bring you all joy 💖
> 
> That being said! I hope you enjoyed this super long chapter that is the result of my struggles... The next one will be out quicker since I don't have any deadlines this week! But... haha...
> 
> We all know what's coming :)
> 
> ~~~  
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	41. Monster's Banquet

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 2 – Second Round_

_Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [22 – 15] Karasuno_

“Gin.” 

Ginjima flinches as Kita stares at him, mentally preparing himself for a lecture. 

“Why’dja try to force that shot?” Kita asks as Ginjima starts to sweat even more. 

“…I uh, I felt like I had to put a stop to the momentum Karasuno had gained so-” 

“And you thought you could accomplish that by getting caught out by their blockers?” 

_‘EEEEEEEK!’_ Ginjima, Atsumu and Osamu internally scream at Kita’s statement, suddenly rigid with fear. 

“Everyone seems so on edge whenever Shinsuke steps onto the court…” Coach Oomi sweat drops as Coach Kurosu laughs. 

“You bet! He ain’t afraid to tell it like it is and they don’t like gettin’ socked by the truth~” 

“NICE SERVE!” 

Tossing the ball into the air, Kita sends his serve over and aims for the gap in between Sawamura and Tanaka. 

_“The receive has broken formation! The serve appears to have been aimed with the intent of interrupting the back line setter’s path!”_

“Azumane-san!” 

Jumping up, Azumane smashes the spike through Inarizaki’s blockers. 

_‘Yuss!’_ He mentally cheers, until Kita gracefully dives for the ball and manages to connect, sending it back to his teammates as they bump it over the net to Karasuno. 

Instantly, the Karasuno members start running up for a synchronised attack as Kageyama sets the ball. 

_‘Man, I hate this one.’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as Sawamura spikes the ball. 

Diving for the ball, Kita manages to bump it up, surprising Karasuno as Atsumu sets the ball. 

“Gin!” 

_BAM!_

_Inarizaki [23 – 15] Karasuno_

“YUSS!” Ginjima cheers as the crowd goes wild. 

_“And that’s a break for Inarizaki! And one whole point of pain for Karasuno!”_

“Kita-senpai… is really amazing.” Y/N says as Coach Kurosu smiles. 

“You’ll find guys like Shinsuke every once in a while. He ain’t a star and won’t ever be, but he’s the kind of guy whose presence whips a team into shape.” Coach Kurosu says as Y/N glances at him. 

_‘He showed signs of that even back in middle school.’_ Coach Kurosu thinks to himself. _‘He was efficient in everything he did, and precise with everything he said. His technical plays were still lacking in experience, but he was always diligent and put care into doing them right. Now that he’s a high school third year…’_

_‘Shinsuke is brimming with confidence. Not that he’s better than everyone else, but the confidence that he will do precisely the right thing and not make mistakes.’_

“Kita-san sure is good at coming in and makin’ the necessary plays right off the bat…” Riseki trails off as Kyoku, their first year libero, laughs and nudges him. 

“Well to be fair, your level of experience and his are worlds apart, y’know?” 

“I heard that the first time Kita-san even saw the court in an official match was after he became a third year.” Suna interrupts as the two first years look at him, surprised. 

“What? For real?!” Kyoku asks as he gasps. “He seems like a total battle-worn veteran though!” 

“Even if you started on your middle school team, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a chance to play with our team here…” Riseki mumbles to himself as he thinks. 

“Nah man.” Suna shakes his head. “When he was in his third year of middle school, forget being on the starting line-up, he apparently didn’t even own the team uniform.” 

“What?!” They gasp, turning to Y/N for confirmation as she chuckles. 

“It’s true.” She says simply, shrugging slightly. “Kita-senpai’s first official game… was at our last Interhigh.” 

“I find that so hard to believe… he’s so good…” Kyoku mutters as he watches Yamaguchi send over his serve. “He’s super reliable…” 

Y/N keeps her eyes trained on the court, but fully understanding their disbelief. “Yeah, he is.” 

_‘As a player, Shinsuke is, well… above average I guess.’_ Coach Kurosu thinks to himself as he watches the court. _‘He doesn’t have any flashy talents or elite skills. But… if he can do it in practise, he can replicate and execute it in a real game too.’_

The Inarizaki players watch in silence as their Captain skilfully receives the serve, bumping it up for his team. 

_‘Shinsuke’s greatest talent… is that he’s unflappable.’_

_‘I don’t need applause or fancy words.’_ Kita thinks to himself as Atsumu positions himself to set the ball. _‘When I do things, I make sure to do it right.’_

Ginjima and Oomimi run up to spike as Atsumu sets the ball. 

_‘If Aran, Rintarou and Atsumu are the kind of players who exist to bring despair to their opponents, then…’_

Ginjima spikes the ball down, managing to get through Karasuno’s blockers. 

_‘Shinsuke is the one whose role is to make sure that despair lingers.’_

_Inarizaki [24 – 16] Karasuno_

“Nice…!” Y/N quietly cheers to herself as the crowds go wild, cheering for their respective team as they prepare for the next point. Turning to Suna, Y/N smirks. “Have fun out there.” 

“I always have fun.” Suna deadpans as he steps onto the court, keeping his eyes on the floor as he tries to avoid eye contact with Kita, who’s staring at him intensely. Once Kita looks away, Suna nervously glances at him from the corner of his eye. 

_‘This guy never ever raises his voice or gets violent about anything, but the pressure he emanates is immense…’_ Suna internally sweat drops. _‘He has the fabled perfect poker face… which he actually did things I could poke fun at him for.’_

Kosaku switches with Oomimi and enters the court as a pinch server, thinking to himself as he collects the ball. 

_‘Their Number 5 has recovered since getting the last in the first set.’_ Kosaku thinks to himself as he tosses the ball into the air and smashes it over. 

_‘In that case, I’ll use my serve to drag you back down again!’_

“RYUU!!” 

Tanaka crouches down as he tries to receive the ball, barely getting it up, startling him with the power of the serve. 

“Even though Inarizaki has the point lead, they’re showing no mercy! And intense serve brings the ball straight back into the Inarizaki court!” 

_‘Alright!’_ Kosaku mentally cheers as Suna instantly runs out with no hesitation, staring at Tsukishima as he jumps up to spike, sticking his tongue out. 

_‘Just try blocking me!’_

Tsukishima quickly jumps up to block Suna’s path, just as Suna expected. Twisting his torso, Suna spikes the ball to the side as he evades Tsukishima’s block once again. 

“Nngh-!” Kageyama groans as the ball flings off of his arms and out of bounds, Tanaka chases after it but he doesn’t make it in time. 

_FWEET!_

Kita smiles slightly as his teammates start cheering. 

_Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [25 – 16] Karasuno_

_“A strong serve combined with a powerful Quick Attack scores them that 25th point in the blink of an eye!! Let’s hear it for Inarizaki High School!!”_

_“Karasuno High School are at their wit’s end!!”_

_“The first set of the second round ended in an upset, but Inarizaki takes back the second set!! The set count is even at 1 – 1!”_

“…” Suna silently stares at Tsukishima as he turns away. _‘Hurry up and get on my level already.’_

“You sure are gettin’ competitive with Karasuno’s blocker.” Y/N comments as she hands Suna his towel. “It’s pretty rare to see you this personally invested in a match.” 

Suna rolls his eyes as he starts wiping the sweat off his face. “I just want to win, is that so surprising?” 

“I mean… kinda.” Y/N says after a moment. 

“Well, I want to win this match.” Suna deadpans as he sighs. “Besides, it’s not like I’ve never gotten competitive with other middle blockers before.” 

“Hmm… I guess that’s true.” Y/N shrugs, glancing at Atsumu to find him deep in thought. “What’s up with him?” 

“Who knows.” Suna deadpans. 

“…” Atsumu glares at the air in front of him as he remains deep in thought, unaware of the discussions around him. 

“Atsumu.” Kita calls as Atsumu instantly flinches, snapping out of his thoughts. “I bet watching Karasuno’s setter spike serving last set has made you want to spike serve too.” 

_‘URK-!’_ Atsumu starts to sweat even more as he avoids making eye contact with Kita. 

“‘Blowing ‘em away with a wicked spike serve is way cooler. I’m gettin’ bored with jump floaters anyway.’” Kita quotes, reading Atsumu’s mind. 

_‘How does he know?!’_

“The jump floaters are what’s workin’ right now. You’ve got their libero on the ropes. Now finish the job.” Kita says as Atsumu stands upright, rigid with fear as Osamu and Suna snicker from behind him. 

“Yes Cap’n!” 

_“Presenting ‘The Strongest Challengers’, Inarizaki, and the ‘Unknown Powerhouse of Old’, Karasuno! Which of the two teams stands closest to the summit?! The destined third set is upon us!”_

* * *

_Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [00 – 00] Karasuno_

_‘They changed their rotation…’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she looks over to the Karasuno team, observing them carefully. _‘This’ll be interesting…’_

_“Can Karasuno stop Inarizaki’s momentum? The third set will begin with Miya Atsumu’s serve.”_

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu runs up and sends a jump floater over. 

“Out!” Sawamura and Nishinoya call, but the ball curves into the court at the very end. 

It’s in. 

_Inarizaki [01 – 00] Karasuno_

_“HOW MANY POINTS IS THIS NOW?! I PRESENT TO YOU THE BIG SERVER ATSUMU! WITH SERVICE ACES RIGHT OFF THE BAT!”_

“YEAHHH!!!” Atsumu cheers loudly as the crowd goes wild. 

“Atsumu seems to be making really clean shots today, maybe his spike serves will be right on the mark too.” Oomimi comments as Kita nods. 

“Yeah, I don’t think that’d really change much though in terms of point scoring success rates.” Kita states as Oomimi tilts his head in confusion. 

“But weren’t you the one who told Atsumu to stick to jump floaters?” 

“All of Atsumu’s serves are formidable. But if he does a spike serve and it gets deftly swept back up into the air by the opponents, he’d think _‘Damn I shoulda stuck to jump floaters after all’_ , and have that thought stuck on his mind.” Kita says as he watches over Atsumu. 

“On the other hand, if the jump floater he thought would succeed gets caught, then judging from his competitive personality, he would get even more fired up.” Kita explains. “I just thought it would be better for Atsumu’s motivation in general if he stuck with jump floaters to the end.” 

_‘Geez, you’d only know how scary this guy is if you’ve seen him like this first hand…’_ Oomimi sweat drops as he turns back to the court for Atsumu’s second serve. 

“Aran!” 

_“Karasuno has restrained Inarizaki’s ace, Ojiro, with their serve! Miya Osamu comes in from the right, with a Quick Attack!”_

Spiking the ball, Osamu gets startled when Tsukishima suddenly appears in front of him. 

“One touch!” 

“Kageyama!” Nishinoya calls as he bumps it up for Kageyama to set. 

“Azumane-san!” 

Osamu and Suna jump up to block Azumane as he spikes through their block, getting Atsumu to receive the ball. 

“Nice receive!” 

“‘Samu!” Atsumu calls as Osamu jumps up to spike, surprising Karasuno’s blockers as they prepare to block him. 

However, Osamu changes his form mid-air and sets the ball to Ojiro. 

“Hnng-!” Tsukishima groans as Atsumu grins in delight. 

Running up to spike, Ojiro jumps up as Kageyama quickly follows him, jumping up high as he blocks Ojiro’s spike, surprising everyone. 

_Inarizaki [02 – 03] Karasuno_

_“It’s a shut down! First year Kageyama Tobio has stopped Inarizaki’s ace Ojiro all by himself!”_

_“‘It won’t be a repeat of the second set!’ Seems to be what Karasuno’s declaring as they get their break!”_

“Damn… that was so cool…” Y/N mutters to herself as she crunches up her face and clutches her heart, alerting the first year reserves as they flinch. “Tobio… how are’ya so good??” 

“L/N-san, are you okay…?” Riseki nervously asks as she gives him thumbs up. 

“I’m all good.” She responds unconvincingly as he nods slowly, deciding that it would be better to not question. 

Staring at Kageyama, Suna watches as he coolly walks back to his position, deep in thought. 

_‘I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been stuffed by incredible blockers from across the nation.’_ Suna thinks to himself as he internally grimaces. 

_‘How do I put it, even if those guys can anticipate where to block, and try to run one step ahead of me… Those hands that reach out to loom above me are filled with nothing but dread.’_

_‘But then again, blocks that aren’t terrifying can hardly be called blocks at all.’_

Looking at Kageyama for a few moments more, Suna finally draws his eyes away as he moves back into position. 

_‘This guy is way more terrifying than Mr Four-Eyes.’_

Tossing the ball into the air, Sawamura sends over his second serve. 

“Aran!” “Got it!” 

_“Miya Osamu from the right! He’s lightning quick! The ball flies back into the Inarizaki court!”_

“Chance ball!” 

Watching the ball carefully, Suna runs up to spike as Tsukishima instantly lines up with him, jumping to block him as he spikes. 

Twisting his torso, Suna spikes around Tsukishima’s block, only for Sawamura to perfectly receive it, surprising everyone as Suna raises his eyebrow in surprise. 

Kageyama sets to Azumane as he smashes the ball down, Ginjima fails to receive it properly. 

_Inarizaki [02 – 04] Karasuno_

_‘Wait a second…’_ Suna thinks to himself as he and Tsukishima make eye contact with each other over the net. _‘This whole time he’s been blocking only the cross. Could that be deliberate?’_

Approaching him, Tsukishima stops in his tracks as he looks at Suna. 

“Hey. Thanks for giving me a nice, clear hitting lane every time.” Suna says as Tsukishima pauses. 

“No, no. Thank you for hitting exactly how I expected you to every time.” Tsukishima responds as he smiles innocently. 

_‘Yep. Deliberate.’_ Suna internally deadpans in irritation, narrowing his eyes at Tsukishima as he walks away. _‘Dammit. This guy’s got to be the least self-assertive middle blocker I’ve ever played. What is he, a robot?’_

_Inarizaki [07 – 10] Karasuno_

Yamaguchi enters the court as a pinch server, switching with Hinata as he prepares for his serve. Tossing the ball into the air, Yamaguchi hits a jump floater over the net as Ojiro barely manages to save it. 

_‘What a stretch…!’_ He thinks to himself as Osamu runs over and bumps it up and Suna sends it over the net. 

“Chance ball!” 

The Karasuno team runs out for a synchronised attack as Kageyama tosses to Azumane, who smashes the ball through Suna and Osamu’s block. 

“Hnng-!” Akagi grits his teeth as he shifts over in time to save it. 

_‘Damn, that’s too low…!’_ He thinks to himself. “Soz’ Atsumu! Follow!” 

Watching the ball carefully Atsumu takes a well-positioned step as he crouches down to the floor, and sets the ball. 

Osamu spikes the ball down before Karasuno’s blockers can properly position themselves as Atsumu smiles. 

_Inarizaki [08 – 10] Karasuno_

Y/N’s heart swells with pride as she watches Atsumu, who cheerfully high fives Osamu for their point. She glances to the side to see Karasuno’s coach clapping at Atsumu’s brilliant set up, before turning to look beside her to see Coach Kurosu doing the same. 

“…Setting from that awkward position is becoming the norm for you.” Suna comments as Atsumu glances at him. “You could have just gone with an underarm just now, couldn’t you?” 

“A setter’s job is to ‘set’, y’know? That means they need to position themselves in the right place at the right time, and set the ball.” Atsumu says cheerfully as Suna stares at him with dead eyes. 

“…Your point?” 

“Well, with a dig all you've got is two arms. But going overhand means you've got ten fingers to use.” Atsumu explains cheerfully as he grins happily. 

“Ten is more than two. More support is better, so I went overhand.” Atsumu laughs as Suna blinks in surprise. “Cuz I’m a setter.” 

_‘That’s Atsumu for you.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she smiles. 

_‘He can be pretty cocky at times, and other times his egotistical and demanding side will come out. But he treats his spikers with more consideration and selflessness than anyone else.’_

Glancing to the side, Y/N observes Riseki as he looks at Atsumu. 

_‘…Being on the same team as someone who can play volleyball like that, really makes me think about how half-assed I’ve been doing things this whole time.’_ Riseki grimaces as he pinches his eyes shut as grips onto Suna’s substitution paddle tightly. 

_‘I thought… they’d never sub me on court ever again…’_

“Even if the number one players in the world do nothin' but the same thing over and over, they'll get knocked outta the top spot pretty fast.” Coach Kurosu says as Riseki glances at him. “We aren't the number one anything yet, so what will clinging to a year ago, a week ago, an hour ago get us? Nothing. So if we kept clinging onto the glory of last year, the glory of yesterday, what can we possibly hope to achieve tomorrow?” 

“One time is enough. We rise to the challenges of today.” 

_**Member Substitution**_  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #14 Riseki Heisuke_  
_OUT: #10 Suna Rintarou_

“NICE SERVE!” 

“BRING IT ON!!” 

Riseki nervously enters the court as he switches with Suna, who mumbles a “nice serve” to him. Turning to face the Karasuno team, Riseki takes a deep breath as he exhales slowly. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Riseki jumps up for his serve. 

_‘We rise to the challenges of today.’_

_BAM!_

The ball hurtles towards Karasuno’s court and smashes down. Staring in disbelief, Riseki takes a moment to process what just happened. 

_Inarizaki [10 – 11] Karasuno_

“NICE SERVE! HEISUKE! NICE SERVE! HEISUKE!” 

Finally processing what happened, Riseki blushes as he smiles widely. “YEAHHH!!!!” 

_“An unusual and intense serve by Riseki Heisuke in the second set!”_

“Aww yuss!” Coach Kurosu cheers as he clenches his fist, getting Y/N to laugh as the team huddles up to celebrate. 

“EYYYYY!!” 

_Karasuno High School_  
_First Timeout_

_“Karasuno’s Coach Ukai puts a break on the momentum.”_

“Nice serve, Riseki-kun.” Y/N says as he blushes and smiles. 

“Thank you!” 

“Yer serves are gettin’ really good these days.” Ginjima says encouragingly. “I can tell you’re improving a lot, you made a great high school debut.” 

“Thank you!” 

“Ha, Heisuke’s always been a player with powerful serves, y’know.” Coach Kurosu says as he interrupts, smiling proudly. “Even all the way back in middle school.” 

“Th-tha-” 

“Whoa, careful guys. He looks like he’s about to combust.” Suna says as Riseki quickly hides his face behind his towel, not used to being the centre of attention. 

“Alright, let’s lay off him.” Coach Kurosu chuckles as he gets the rest of the team’s attention. “We’re just about caught up to Karasuno now, don’t hold anything back, don’t play it safe. We’re gonna win this match.” 

“Even though he’s not as affected as I initially thought he’d be, Karasuno’s Number 5 is still their weakest link.” Y/N says as she looks at the team. “He’s playing well, but there’s a difference between an okay player playing well, and an amazing player playing well.” 

“We can stop him~” Atsumu chimes as they glance at him. “Shuttin’ him down’s gotta hurt him even a little, no matter how strong his mentality is.” 

“Yeah, a real ‘in-your-face’ block ought to do the trick.” Y/N agrees. 

“I can handle that.” Oomimi says as they all turn to him. “His inner-angle spikes are nasty, but… He’s nothing more than a watered-down version of Bokuto.” 

The rest of the Inarizaki team halts in their movements as they stare at Oomimi, speechless. After a few moments, Y/N’s the first to recover. 

“Oomimi-senpai… That was an amazing roast. We should hang out more, please teach me your ways.” Y/N says excitedly as Suna finally snaps out of his shock. 

“Please teach me too, Oomimi-san!” Suna cuts in as he sparkles in excitement. “Do you have savage thoughts like this for everyone?? Do you secretly call Atsumu an Osamu cosplayer??” 

“Nah Rintarou, Oomimi-senpai’s roasts are definitely stronger than that.” Y/N insists seriously. “He probably calls Atsumu an Osamu prototype or something…” 

“Please tell us your secret thoughts, Oomimi-san.” Suna adds as Oomimi sweat drops. 

“…I have no such thoughts of my teammates.” Oomimi deadpans as Suna nods. 

“A noble man, he refuses to share his knowledge in fear that their power will cause destruction…” Suna mumbles to himself. 

“What are you two babblin’ about?” Atsumu cuts in as he scowls at them. “Osamu cosplayer? Osamu prototype??” 

“I thought those were pretty good.” Osamu interrupts as Atsumu gasps dramatically. 

“‘Samu!” 

“Perhaps we should focus on the match.” Coach Kurosu deadpans as they all sweat drop. 

“Oh right, the match.” 

_FWEET!_

_“Riseki returns for another serve after being interrupted by the timeout. Will he be able to maintain his focus?”_

Taking a deep breath, Riseki exhales slowly as he turns his gaze to the Karasuno team, eyes locked on them as he focuses. Tossing the ball into the air, he smashes his serve over. 

“Ryuu!!” 

“Hnng-!” Tanaka grunts as he barely gets the ball up. _‘That’s a bit long…!’_

Jumping up, Ojiro spikes the ball down on the first touch, surprising Karasuno’s blockers with the sudden attack. 

_Inarizaki [11 – 11] Karasuno_

“Yeahh!!” Riseki cheers as he clenches his fist. 

_“A direct spike from Ojiro Aran straight after the serve broke down Karasuno’s formation! Now this is intense!!”_

_“Inarizaki has caught up to Karasuno in the blink of an eye!!”_

Tossing the ball into the air for his third serve, Riseki runs up as he smashes another serve over, only for Sawamura to receive it, taking him by surprise. 

“Tsukishima!” Kageyama tosses the ball to Tsukishima as he spikes it down. 

_Inarizaki [11 – 12] Karasuno_

Leaving the court, Riseki faces his teammates as he smiles. 

“I’ll score us three points next time!” 

“Say you’ll score ten or something why don’tcha~” Kosaku laughs as Riseki smiles bashfully. 

Lifting his hand up, Riseki feels the stinging sensation on his palm as he looks at it, clenching his fist as he smiles. _‘I’m gonna get another chance… I’m gonna get another chance to play in a match.’_

Azumane looks down at his hand as he clenches it, preparing for his serve. 

_‘100%...’_ Tossing the ball into the air, he smashes it over. 

_BAM!_

Ginjima doesn’t have time to react as he whips around to follow the ball, looking at the referee for the verdict. It’s out. 

_Inarizaki [12 – 12] Karasuno_

“Argh…!!” Azumane groans as Ginjima sighs in relief, rotating for Osamu’s serve. 

“Nice serve!!” 

Osamu remains silent as he stands at the end line, counting the seconds as they pass by. The rest of the gymnasium watches him in anticipation. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Osamu hits his serve over as Azumane receives it. 

“Kageyama!” 

“Tanaka-san!” 

Oomimi watches Tanaka carefully as he runs up to block his spike. 

_‘That is a nasty inner-angle for the Number 5 to spike from.’_ Oomimi thinks to himself as he jumps up. _‘However, he can’t actually pull it off, now can he?’_

Quickly shifting his arms to the side, Oomimi blocks Tanaka’s cross shot as he spikes directly into his block. Tanaka grits his teeth as Oomimi looks down on him. 

_‘He’s nothing more than a watered-down version of Bokuto.’_

_Inarizaki [13 – 12] Karasuno_

_“It’s a block! Tanaka Ryuunosuke has been getting back into gear since the end of the first set, but seems like he’s caught out now!”_

“Ohoho!” Suna laughs joyously as he clutches his stomach while Kita clapping from beside him. He can’t help but admire Oomimi’s brilliant plays. 

_“Third year Oomimi-kun has splendidly restricted the course that Karasuno had managed to slip through only moments before. Just when we think that Inarizaki is right on Karasuno’s tail, they ride the momentum and overtake Karasuno in points, turning the tide!”_

_“Inarizaki has scored the 13th point, which is halfway to 25, so a court change will take place now.”_

_“Feels like first year Riseki’s serve just now was the catalyst for Inarizaki to undergo a huge boost. A confident serve emanates power, that’s for sure. It exerts pressure onto your opponents, whilst giving your own team momentum at the same time. Easier said than done though, it’s hard to actually score.”_

_“Will Karasuno High School be able to put a stop to Inarizaki’s momentum?”_

“Destroy ‘em with yer serve, ‘Samu!” Atsumu yells as Osamu sweat drops. “I’m still winnin’ in service ace counts!” 

“I got it!” Osamu groans in response as he collects the ball for his serve. Atsumu covers the back of his head as he turns his attention back to Karasuno’s court as Osamu tosses the ball into the air for his serve. 

_‘We’re, what? The second in the nation? Or was it third?’_ Atsumu thinks to himself. _‘Ah, who cares which one it was? Doesn’t matter. That was all yesterday.’_

_‘Yesterday is gone.’_

_‘Yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. They’ve all become part of our muscles.’_

“Atsumu!” 

“Hnng-!” Atsumu winces as he receives Kageyama’s spike and bumps it up. 

“Osamu!” 

_“Kageyama deftly returns the ball from a very tight spot, straight back at setter Miya Atsumu! However, Inarizaki still has Miya Osamu!”_

Atsumu and Osamu both position themselves as they run up their respective paths. 

_‘What are we gonna do today?’_

The twins turn as they make eye contact with each other. 

_Twin’s Quick Attack: Minus Tempo – **Inverse!**_

Osamu sets the ball as Atsumu spikes it down before the opposing blockers can properly react. 

Everyone stares in shock as the ball bounces on the court, watching as it bounces away. 

“Those idiots…” Y/N scoffs as she laughs. 

“NICE KILL! ATSUMU! NICE KILL! ATSUMU! GIVE US ANOTHER!!” 

Riseki shivers as he and Kita start clapping, cheering with the rest of the team as they watch their amazing teammates on the court. 

_‘If we cling onto yesterday, what can we hope to become tomorrow?’_

_Inarizaki [14 – 12] Karasuno_

_“What-! What a mind blowing set up from ‘spiker’ Miya Osamu to ‘setter’ Miya Atsumu! Their Minus Tempo Quick Attack rears it’s head again!”_

_“The Miya twins truly are a terrifying combination!”_

“But that was low… and a bit short to boot!” Atsumu exclaims. 

“Would it kill you to lower your unreasonable standards a bit?!” Osamu yells. “Newsflash, I ain’t the team setter!” 

“I feel like we could pull off the Skylab Hurricane if we tried!!” Atsumu says excitedly as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah well, you’re on the bottom.” 

“Huh?! You’re obviously the guy on the bottom!” 

“Talk about a miracle…” Y/N chuckles to herself as Kita glances at her. 

“Even if what we saw just now was a mere fluke, Karasuno’s gotta be tilted by this… I mean, didja see that?” Kita says as Suna chuckles. 

“Yeah.” 

_‘That’s gotta feel all kinds of bad, wouldn’t it? On top of having the lead snatched from you, it’s done via a counter-attack and tactic you never could have anticipated. That’s gotta make you sweat buckets.’_

_‘You’d want to get that after-taste out of your mouth as soon as possible, right?’_

_‘During times like these, if you could cleanly score even a single point, that’d do wonders in raising your team’s morale. You’d do whatever it takes to score that point.’_

Jumping up, Atsumu blocks Azumane’s spike as the Karasuno team grits their teeth in frustration. 

_‘Whilst we’d do whatever it takes to stop you.’_

_Inarizaki [17 – 16] Karasuno_

_“The receive has returned to the setter, who will Miya Atsumu use? Miya Osamu has gone in for the run up already!”_

_“But… It’s Ginjima! Swooping in from the left! However!! Karasuno’s wall, Tsukishima, blocks it!”_

“Got it!” Akagi calls before glancing to the side. 

“‘Samu!!” Atsumu calls as he grins, cheerfully setting to Osamu on the first touch as he runs up to spike. 

_“And this is Miya Osamu, going straight into a set up off the first touch??”_

_‘This is nuts ‘Tsumu…’_ Osamu thinks to himself as he huffs, jumping up. 

_“Miya Osamu is… Ready and waiting!”_

Tsukishima instantly lines up with Osamu as he jumps, only for Osamu to change his form mid-air and opt to set the ball instead. 

“Huh?!” Tsukishima groans as Atsumu laughs happily. 

_“Miya Osamu re-sets the ball that was tossed to him??”_

_“Flying in from behind… Ojiro Aran!!!”_

Hinata shifts into position as he silently receives the ball, bumping up Ojiro’s powerful spike as his body absorbs the power. 

Everyone pauses in shock as they look at him, no one expected this. 

“…Nice receive.” Kageyama says as he runs up to set the ball. 

“AHHHHHHHHHH!!!” “NICE RECEIVE!!!” The Karasuno team screams. 

_“In the absence of their libero, middle blocker Hinata Shouyou makes a perfect receive on that powerful spike! Nice receive.”_

_‘Synchronised Attack: All In!’_

The Karasuno attackers all run up to spike the ball as Kageyama jumps to set. 

_‘It’s only one single point, but if they do score… Things aren’t gonna look good for us.’_ Coach Kurosu inwardly winces. _‘It’ll be a point that sends bad winds blowing our way.’_

“DEFEND IT TO THE LAST!” He yells as Y/N grips her notebook tightly, eyes wide in anxious anticipation. 

Azumane smashes the ball down. 

“ARGH-!” Atsumu groans loudly as he receives the ball. “FOLLOW!” 

“Gin!” Osamu calls as he tosses to him. 

“KNHG-!” Ginjima grunts as he spikes the ball, it bounces off of Tsukishima’s outstretched arm and flies away from the court. 

“HAH!” Hinata yells as he jumps up and bumps the ball back. 

_‘So fast…! The heck?!’_ Ginjima thinks to himself. 

“KAGEYAMAAAA!!” Hinata yells as he starts running up to spike. 

_“Hinata Shouyou connects the ball… And is now attempting to do a run up attack from all the way back there?!”_

The Inarizaki team stays alert in shock at Hinata’s run up, trying to keep a cool mind as they watch Kageyama set the ball. 

“Tanaka-san!” 

Suna and Osamu don’t make it in time to block Tanaka as his spike bounces off of Ojiro’s arms and flies away from the court. 

Taking a huge leap, Akagi barely saves the ball as it bounces off of his foot, shocking everyone. 

_“Oh my! Would you look at that! It connects!! Libero Akagi saves it with the tip of his feet!!”_

_“Let’s see if Inarizaki can get the ball back in- Yep, they have!!”_

Atsumu connects the ball as he bumps it back to Karasuno’s side. 

“CHANCE BALL!!” “FALL BACK! BACK!” 

But the ball hits the net. 

_‘No way.’_ Sawamura grits his teeth as he dives for the ball. 

He doesn’t make it. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 16] Karasuno_

“UWAAAHHHHAAWWWWHAAAT?!” The Inarzaiki team screams as they stare at the ball, the first years jumping up and down in joy as Kita claps. 

“That was so intense…!” Y/N breathes out as she finally exhales, finally relaxing in her seat a little as Coach Kurosu smirks. 

_‘By not securing a break, even if that point just now wasn’t the match point, it was a point that is more than enough to crush their spirits.’_

_‘If their spirits are broken, then in the same moment, they will be reminded of the weight of their exhaustion.’_

_Karasuno High School_  
_Second Timeout_

“ _That was a superb rally performed by both sides, but the Goddess of victory is perhaps smiling down on Inarizaki at this moment…!!”_

“I can literally feel my life shortening because of you guys…” Y/N mutters as she sighs, handing their bottles to them. “You better win this match.” 

“As if we have plans to lose.” Atsumu rolls his eyes as he takes his bottle, before turning around to glance at Hinata. Noticing his brother’s distraction, Osamu looks at him as he thinks for a moment. 

The twins sit down on the bench as Osamu continues staring at Hinata. 

“Rice. It’s like eating rice.” Osamu says simply as Atsumu opens his drink bottle. 

“Hah? What? You’ve been thinkin’ about rice during this match for a while now, what’s up with that?” Atsumu asks. 

“If you get full eating a load of meat at Korean Barbecue, you might start feeling sick and think ‘I’m done with this for a while’, and then not have an appetite the next day.” 

“…Nah, after Korean Barbeque I think I’d like to have some curry or sushi.” Atsumu says as Osamu continues. 

“You have rice multiple times every day, but you start feeling hungry again straight after. Every time you eat rice, you feel happiness.” Osamu says simply as he stares at the court ahead. “You can eat rice on repeat as many times as you like, but the degree of happiness you feel won’t go down at all.” 

“Yah, but regardless of what your meal actually is though, you always make a face that says ‘I’m so happy to be alive’ when eating.” Atsumu deadpans as he sweat drops. “Be it cold onigiri or ramen.” 

“…He’s one of those people, y’know.” Osamu states as Atsumu thinks. “One of those people who can play volleyball like it’s eating plain rice.” 

_FWEET!_

The players re-enter the court as they walk on. 

“Hey Atsumu, did you know?” Osamu asks. “When you’re hungry, and you eat a small mouthful of something…” 

“It makes you even hungrier.” 

Atsumu gulps as he turns his eyes back to the court. 

_‘Yeah, I know that.’_

Azumane smashes the ball against Osamu’s block as it flies out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [18 – 17] Karasuno_

_‘When there’s someone with a healthy appetite eating, everyone around them starts feeling hungry too.’_

_“Karasuno’s caught up in the blink of an eye! They’re right on Inarizaki’s tail!”_

_**Member Substitution**_  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #1 Kita Shinsuke_  
_OUT: #5 Ginjima Hitoshi_

 _“Inarizaki is subbing in their Captain, Kita Shinsuke onto the court! Are they going for the defence reinforcement strategy?”_

“That’s a good point. It seems that when he steps onto the court, both the defensive capabilities and mental fortitude of the team are stabilised.” 

Kita glances at the Inarizaki banner before quickly turning away. 

_‘To be honest… I’m not too fond of that slogan.’_ Kita thinks to himself as he prepares for his serve. _‘The road that brought us here doesn’t just stretch out in front of us, challenging yourself is one thing. Being reckless is another.’_

_‘The twins, Karasuno’s two rookies… I can’t understand folks like them.’_

_‘But…’_

_‘I do confess that watching them… makes my heart get fired up._ ’ 

Looking over to the twins, Kita watches as they talk to each other. He’s always watching over his team. 

_‘Now, I’m not the kind of player who can go out and change the momentum all on his own. But with a team full of folks who just can’t help but charge in the headlong, it makes me feel like I’ve gotta stick by ‘em. Watch over ‘em and protect ‘em.’_

Glancing over, Kita makes eye contact with Sawamura as he stares. 

_‘And… I’m bettin’ it’s the same for you too.’_

“Shinsuke!” Akagi yells as Kita receives Azumane’s serve. 

“NICE RECEIVE!!” 

_‘I don’t know if I could have saved that one… Damn!’_ Ginjima thinks to himself from the bench. 

_“Captain Kita has beautifully saved that intense serve, now who will Miya Atsumu use?”_

_“Ojiro Aran incoming from the left!”_

Ojiro smashes his spike into Tsukishima and Kageyama’s block as Tanaka runs to cover. 

“Alright!” 

Kageyama tosses the ball to Azumane as he spikes it down. 

“Atsumu!” 

“Hng-!” Atsumu grunts as he saves it. _‘Ahhh, what is this… I’ve got a super good feeling…’_

“Osamu!” 

_‘Atsumu’s doing a run-up?!’_ Y/N and Suna think to themselves as they watch him. 

_‘The time is now. Whenever, wherever, the present is always where the greatest chance lies.’_

_Twin’s Quick Attack: Minus Tempo – **Inverse!**_

Osamu tosses the ball to Atsumu, but they miss. 

_‘They’re not gonna make it.’_ Suna thinks as he watches. 

Kita dives forward as he saves the ball, shocking everyone as the twins gasp in delight. 

“NICE FOLLOW!” “Chance ball!” 

Sawamura bumps the ball up as he starts running up for a synchronised attack, surprising Kita. 

_‘In the Shiratorizawa game, they didn’t pass to the back row on this attack a single time. Even in this game, they only did it once as a surprise to catch us off guard and put an end to Atsumu’s serve streak.’_

_‘We know you aren’t gonna get the ball, so what’s the point? Is abandoning your post as backup to your teammates worth it?’_

Running up to spike, Sawamura jumps as Kageyama tosses the ball. 

_‘I’m not here to protect my teammates. All of us… are here to score.’_

_‘They’re goin’ to him of all people?!’_ Oomimi thinks to himself as he jumps up to block. 

Sawamura’s spike bounces off of Kita’s arms as it flings back as it hits the Inarizaki’s banner. Kita watches as it falls down before turning to smile at Sawamura. 

_Inarizaki [20 – 20] Karasuno_

_“For a moment it looked as if Inarizaki would run away with this set… But Karasuno has stepped up and evened the score!!”_

_‘We’re gonna take those points back.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she watches the court carefully. _‘We’re gonna take ‘em back… and win this match.’_

Osamu stands in silence as he waits, making everyone watch in anticipation for his serve. 

_‘If this is after meal time… then I think I like this 8 second gap.’_ He thinks to himself as he tosses the ball into the air, smashing it over as Azumane manages to save it. 

“GUH!” “Kageyama! Right!” 

_BAM!_

_“A spike from an unwieldy position, they target the opponent’s setter!”_

Atsumu saves the ball with an overhand as he watches, and he starts running up to spike. 

“Osamu!!” 

_‘They’re gonna do it.’_

Osamu tosses the ball as Atsumu’s already waiting in the air to spike the ball. 

_‘You guys are thinking the same, right?’_

Ojiro jumps up to spike the ball that Osamu tossed as Karasuno’s blockers turn in surprise, jumping up to try and block him as he smashes the ball down. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 21] Karasuno_

_“An intense spike from the left, Ojiro Aran! Inarizaki has regained the lead in the blink of an eye!!”_

“YEAHHH!!” The Inarizaki team cheers. 

“Nice kill!” Kita claps as they celebrate. 

“Yeah! Sweet move, ‘Samu!” Atsumu cheers as he and Osamu jump up and bump sides. 

“You bet, ‘Tsumu!” 

_“Atsumu-kun got the better of Karasuno’s blocker on the right for a moment there. He obviously looks physically worn out, but I wonder if he’s mentally exhausted too.”_

Tossing the ball up for his second serve, Osamu smashes the ball over as Sawamura barely saves it. 

“Hnng-!” “Tanaka-san!” 

Tanaka jumps up and spikes the ball against Inarizaki’s block as it flies out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [22 – 22] Karasuno_

“Nice kill.” Kageyama says to Tanaka as Tsukishima rotates to the back row for his serve. Sending it over, Ojiro bumps it up. 

“Alright!” 

Jumping up, everyone watches Atsumu closely to see who he sets to. 

And he dumps the ball. 

Everyone turns in shock as the ball falls to the court, stunned to silence at Atsumu’s play. 

_“At a time like this, the elusive dump attack has reared it’s head!”_

_Inarizaki [23 – 22] Karasuno_

_Member Substitution_  
_Inarizaki High School_  
_IN: #5 Ginjima Hitoshi_  
_OUT: #1 Kita Shinsuke_

_“Inarizaki’s Kita has rotated to the front line, and at this point, Ginjima returns to the court.”_

“Nice serve.” Kita says to Ojiro as he nods. 

They high five each other as Ojiro walks to his position and Kita leaves the court, gripping his substitution paddle. 

Bouncing the ball up and down, Ojiro stands tall as he prepares for his serve. Tossing the ball into the air, he jumps up. 

_BAM!_

Azumane gets blown away as the ball bounces off of his arms and over to Inarizaki’s court. Jumping up, Ginjima smashes it down. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 22] Karasuno_

_“THAT INTENSE SERVE GETS THEM A DIRECT SCORE!! IT’S CHECKMATE BY INARIZAKI!!”_

Tossing the ball into the air, Ojiro smashes his second serve over the net. 

_“Another Powerful serve from Ojiro Aran! Karasuno somehow saves it, but their formation is broken!!”_

Kageyama pants as he runs over to set the ball. “Tanaka-san!” 

Oomimi instantly runs over to block Tanaka, shutting down his spike. 

But Nishinoya saves it. 

“KAGEYAMAA!” 

Kageyama slides over and bumps the ball up as Hinata spikes the ball. 

“Hnng-!” Ojiro grunts as he dives to save the ball. 

_“Can you believe Karasuno pulled off a Quick Attack from there?! But Ojiro saves it… Will it connect though?”_

Atsumu bends backwards into an awkward position as he sets the ball, surprising the opposing team as Osamu watches the ball. 

“Come on…!” 

Ginjima spikes the ball down, but Nishinoya saves it. 

“ARGH!” 

_“Now this is an exhibition of setting prowess by two of the top high school setters!”_

_“The spikers are pretty amazing too.”_

Running over, Kageyama tosses the ball to Tanaka again. 

Jumping up, Tanaka spikes the ball right beside the antenna as Oomimi and Atsumu jump up to block him. 

_‘Supreme Line Shot!’_

The ball paints the line as Oomimi and Atsumu turn around in shock as it bounces away. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 23] Karasuno_

_“A true do-or-die play when you’re backed against a wall! Here we see a very extreme straight spike, which Tanaka Ryuunosuke scores magnificently!”_

_“That was an incredible straight, judging from the way his body was facing, I was so sure he would hit a cross!!”_

“AWWWW YEAHHHHHHHH!!!” The Karasuno team cheers as they huddle around Tanaka. 

Kageyama stares ahead as he holds his hands together, getting Hinata and Atsumu to glance at him in surprise. 

_‘Whoa whoa whoa. Who is this kid? Where’d sweet lil’ Mr Goody-Two-Shoes go?’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he watches Kageyama. _‘What happened in the few weeks since camp?’_

_“Karasuno hasn’t lost their fire, but as things stand, it’s still Inarizaki’s match point.”_

_“Karasuno to serve. If they mess up here, or send an easy serve over the net, what awaits them is defeat…!”_

Kageyama silently spins the ball in his hands as he looks over to the Inarizaki team, calm and composed. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Kageyama smashes the ball over as Osamu stumbles to receive it, watching as it flings over beside Karasuno’s court. 

“Is this guy for real?!” 

Atsumu runs under the net to try save the ball, but he’s not fast enough. 

“Aarghh!” Atsumu groans as the ball falls to the floor. 

_‘…To think he’s just a first year like me…!’_ Riseki thinks to himself as he winces. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 24] Karasuno_

_“Kageyama Tobio gives it his all and delivers a service ace, pulling the points back to even! Is he really just a high school student?! This match truly is a showdown of killer serves!”_

“BRING IT ONNNN!!!” Ojiro, Osamu and Akagi yells as Kageyama tosses the ball into the air. 

He lightly bumps it over the net, catching them by surprise as they dive forwards to save it. 

_“At the very last possible moment!! Kageyama drops the ball straight down the front, as if he’s reading the minds of the receivers who were bracing themselves!!”_

“Chance ball!” 

Kageyama tosses the ball to Hinata as he hits it down. 

_Inarizaki [24 – 25] Karasuno_

_“The originators of the lightning speed Quick Attack score straight from the centre!! Now this was a ‘Maximum Speed Centre Attack’ that didn’t pull any punches in exploiting the opponents momentary disorientation!”_

_“Karasuno’s put Inarizaki in checkmate now!!”_

Tossing the ball up into the air, Kageyama smashes his third serve over as Ojiro receives it. 

_‘To be capable in both offense and defence… is what it means to be an ace!’_

_“This was yet again a formidable serve, but this time Inarizaki gets the ball up in the air! What will the crafty Miya Atsumu do next?!”_

_“We can’t rule out the possibility of a dump attack.”_

Jumping up, Atsumu tosses the ball to Ginjima as he spikes it down. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 25] Karasuno_

_“The calm and cool Ginjima scores from the left!! Now this was also a display of an excellent straight! I think we’re at the point where most players are feeling the fatigue, but Atsumu-kun sure pulled off a splendid, beautiful set where he gave away absolutely nothing to the other side’s blockers.”_

_“Oh, I see!”_

_“The trickier Atsumu’s plays are, the flashier it looks. However, you can’t claim the title as the ‘Number 1 High School Setter’ if that’s all you’ve got.”_

_“The same principle goes for Kageyama-kun’s setup earlier, when Tanaka-kun scored with his straight. The more everyone’s attention is focused on the spier, the brighter the eyes of the skilful setter will shine from the shadows.”_

“Even when the late game has come to this, Atsumu-kun doesn’t mess up even once, it’s like he knows what Karasuno is thinking… he’s such a genius…” Otsuka trails off as he watches from the sidelines. “Man, it’s so painful playing the same position as him…” 

“Kageyama’s serves are pretty badass too, damn. Wish I had talent like that…” Riseki mutters as Y/N glances at them. 

“…Someone once asked me.” Kita begins as they all turn their attention to him. “‘Do you ever feel bitter over the fact that you’re not a regular on the team, and amongst your juniors there’s a genius to boot?’ I never understood the exact definition of what it was to be a genius to begin with, but upon hearing the question, I understood the general gist of what they were getting at.” 

“Every so often, there will be someone who thinks that ‘people like Atsumu’ were ‘good’ from the get-go. But the thing is…” 

“If I practised something from 1-10 every day, then people like Atsumu would have done it from 1-20. Or, they would have done the same 10 but in a more efficient or concentrated manner. They might also ask ‘instead of doing it 1-10, how about I tried it from A-Z, what would happen then? Now doesn’t that sound interesting?’ They’re the kind of people who think of stuff like that.” 

“Even if they fail, even if they are hated and get ostracised by others, no matter whether they’re right or they’re wrong, even if they subvert something the rest of us hold in high regard, they’re the kind of people who can’t sit still without giving it a go. Even if they start coughing up blood from their lungs, they’re the kind of people who want to keep on running, no matter what.” 

“There’s going to be a lot of people in this world who make you go ‘wow, I’ll never be able to defeat them’, and it’s only natural that you think they’re amazing people.” Kita continues as he watches. “I think that to be able to keep charing ahead is a talent in and of itself. You can call people like them whatever you like, the term ‘genius’ isn’t exactly an insult.” 

“That said, to think that they were ‘good from the get-go’, us to condemn yourself to a predetermined defeat without even playing in a match against them, and…” 

“I also think it’s pretty rude.” 

Hinata kicks the ball over the net with his foot as it falls onto the court. 

_Inarizaki [25 – 26] Karasuno_

_“Saved it with his foot! What terrifying balance and game sense Hinata Shouyou has…! Karasuno has toiled to defend themselves against Inarizaki’s break point!!”_

_“Wow, you can tell Hinata probably plays around with the ball on a regular basis!”_

Kita turns around to face the other Inarizaki reserves. “…I know you didn’t really mean it that way. Sorry for getting all serious about it.” 

“…No. In this case, it’s totally my bad for saying something so thoughtless.” Otsuka says. 

_‘I’m doing some real mental gymnastics today, it’s painful…’_ Riseki thinks to himself. 

_“Inarizaki instantaneously breaks through!”_

_“This goes for both schools, but the audacity they have to attack through the direct centre when they’re in a pinch is incredible.”_

Suna glances at Atsumu as he passes by. 

_‘There are times where Atsumu’s focus just snaps. But today, I feel like his precision has been on the rise as the game goes on.’_ Suna thinks to himself as he rotates for the next serve. 

“But y’know?” Otsuka adds as he watches Atsumu. “I still think there are _monsters_ out there.” 

“Yep, me too.” Kita agrees. 

“Monsters who live and breathe volleyball all day long. We get the chance to meet those monsters, to stand on the same court with them, to play across the same net with them…” 

“It’s like we’re the mortals who stumbled into a Monster’s Banquet.” Kita laughs as he smiles. “Ain’t that just the luckiest thing?” 

Clenching his fist in the air, Atsumu holds the volleyball up as he stares over at Karasuno’s court. 

Tossing the ball into the air, he hits a jump floater between Sawamura and Tanaka as they shift over to receive, but it flings off of Sawamura’s fingers and out of bounds. 

_Inarizaki [27 – 26] Karasuno_

_“Now that’s a payback serve of a calibre you don’t expect to see from a mere high schooler!”_

_“Hope and despair, come and go in waves!”_

“HOOOO YEAHH!!” Atsumu cheers as the crowds go wild. 

“ONE MORE POINT! ONE MORE POINT!” 

The crowds continue to cheer for Atsumu as he moves into position for his second serve. Lifting his hand into the air, he clenches his fist as he silences them once again. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu jumps up and smashes it over. 

“DAICHI-SAN!” 

Sawamura barely saves the ball as it flings towards the net. 

_“This is like thunder after quietude! From a smooth jump floater straight into an intense spike serve, and Karasuno flounders!”_

Hinata runs up to spike as Kageyama jumps up and reaches for the ball. 

_‘As if I’d lose to this guy!’_

Kageyama tosses the ball to Hinata as he grins, hitting it down. 

“Damn, he tossed it?” Suna mutters. 

_Inarizaki [27 – 27] Karasuno_

_“Hinata Shouyou from the centre! Kageyama Tobio splendidly tossed a ball that was on the verge of crossing the net! What a high spiking point! It’s as if Hinata-kun has wings, and his stamina is also incredible!”_

_“Additionally, Kageyama-kun also did well to precision his toss towards the point of contact!”_

“HAH!” Atsumu laughs as Osamu flinches and turns around. 

“The heck?” 

“That ain’t no _faith_. He doesn’t _trust_ his setter.” Atsumu says. “Nuh-uh. He _expects_ it. He _expects_ the ball to be up there for him, right on time. He looks at his setter and says, ‘you’re gonna do it, right?’” 

_‘You’ve got my sympathies, Tobio-kun.’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he smirks. _‘You got yerself a terrifying partner there.’_

“Well, yeah. What’s so weird about that?” Osamu asks obliviously as Atsumu turns to him, unimpressed. 

“Geez, people! How ‘bout you have a little sympathy and consideration for others, huh?!” Atsumu exclaims as Osamu stares at him, dumbfounded. 

“…Uh, that wasn’t very funny.” Osamu says. _‘Those words comin’ from a jerk like you…’_

“IT WASN’T A JOKE!” 

Hinata sends his serve over as Osamu receives it. 

Watching Atsumu carefully, Tsukishima glances around as he reads his set, running up to block Suna as soon as the ball leaves his fingertips. 

_‘If I shut him down here and now… I bet the whole team would go crazy.’_ Tsukishima thinks to himself as Suna spikes around his block. 

_‘But… I can’t.’_

_‘So you had better be there.’_

Hinata lines up a receives Suna’s spike as Atsumu and Suna look in disgust. 

_“Middle blocker Hinata saves the ball yet again!”_

Hinata runs up to spike as Kageyama sets the ball, only for it to go to Azumane as Suna watches carefully. 

Coordinating the block, Suna blocks Azumane’s path and forces him to hit directly to Akagi, who bumps up the ball. 

“Nice receive!” 

Atsumu jumps up and sets the ball to Ginjima. 

_‘Damn it. My mind is clear, but my feet are dragging.’_ Tsukishima thinks as he runs up to block Ginjima. _‘At the very least… I’m not going to let you hit a straight!’_

Tsukishima gets a one touch on the ball as it flies backwards, Tanaka runs after the ball and dives for it, barely saving it in time. 

“Kageyama!” 

“Azumane-san!” 

Suna, Osamu and Ginjima jump up to block Azumane as he jumps to spike, only for him to stagger the timing, much to their surprise. 

“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.” Suna mutters as Azumane spikes off of their block. 

The ball flies to the out of bounds as Akagi chances after it, jumping over the bench as he reaches. 

But it drops before he can get it. 

_Inarizaki [27 – 28] Karasuno_

“My life is flashing before my eyes right now…” Y/N mutters as she clasps her hands together. “This is more stressful… than the Itachiyama match…” 

“At least yer young.” Coach Kurosu sighs. “Yer young and stressed, I’m old and stressed. I think I’m gonna collapse…” 

“Can I take yer job if you do?” 

“The pay’s not as good as you think.” 

“Never mind then.” 

“Right now, can imagine how everyone on court is feeling?” Kita asks Riseki as he glances over. 

“…They’re about to hit the limits of their stamina reserves, and at the same time they’re enduring immense pressure and nerves…” Riseki trails off as Kita smiles. 

“Whoever scores right now is a hero.” 

Hinata hits his serve over as Ojiro receives it. Grinning to himself, Atsumu immediately moves into position to set the ball. 

_‘Look at him, getting all swept up in the excitement along with those little first years every single damn time.’ Osamu internally deadpans as he runs up to spike. ‘High school number one setter wheeeeere?’_

Atsumu tosses to Suna as he spikes it down. 

_Inarizaki [28 – 28] Karasuno_

“I just couldn’t stand that all my attacks had been saved.” Atsumu says. 

“The one attacking is me though.” Suna deadpans in response. 

“Heh~” 

_“And Inarizaki manages to save this one too!”_

_“Their blockers have such persistence…!”_

_“There’s the kind of nervous tension in the players where if just one small thing happens, and that throws off the whole rhythm of the game then it’s all over. But both sides maintain tremendous focus in order to prevent that from happening…!”_

_“A showdown in energy!”_

Ojiro smashes the ball down through Karasuno’s blockers. 

_Inarizaki [30 – 30] Karasuno_

_“Now that was a high point to spike! From Ojiro Aran! And the crowd at Tokyo Gymnasium goes wild!”_

_“Inarizaki has clung onto Karasuno and won’t let go…!!”_

Tossing the ball into the air, Osamu smashes a serve over the net. 

“Asahi-san!” “Hnng-!” 

_‘It’s a bit long, but… Kageyama’s gonna toss it!!’_

Kageyama dumps the ball in front of their faces as they stare in shock. 

_Inarizaki [30 – 31] Karasuno_

_“WHAT AN ABSOLUTE FEARLESS DAREDEVIL! FIRST YEAR KAGEYAMA TOBIOOO!!”_

_“What’s more, the whole of Karasuno started moving to attack! That constant high-level consciousness of always being ready to attack is one of the pillars of Karasuno’s great strength, but I think there’’s a lot of stamina and energy needed for that too.”_

_‘We needa stop them…’_ Y/N grits her teeth as she watches the match intensely. She’s not on the court, but the mental exhaustion is getting to her as she frantically glances around. _‘It’s too early to lose…!’_

_‘We can’t lose… not when I have so much more I want to do with the team.’_

Tsukishima grabs the ball for his serve as he pants, staring at the net carefully as he smirks, tossing the ball into the air as he hits a high serve. 

“Front!” 

Ojiro shifts forwards as he strains to receive the ball. _‘And here I thought this guy only did those as-long-as-it’s-over-the-net kind of serves!’_

“Gin!” Oomimi calls as he bumps the ball over to him. 

_‘Attack, attack, quickly, faster than the opponent.’_

_‘Before they regain formation, and are able to keep up with us.’_

The intense rally continues as both teams keep firing relentless attacks at each other over and over again. The adrenaline overtakes their fatigue as they continue chasing after the ball in attempts to outdo their opponents. 

_‘That strong sense of determination where one thinks ‘We’re gonna score here!’ Speeds up the rhythm of the game.’_

_‘Speed is diabolical, your tunnel vision and your view becomes narrow, your breathing becomes shallow, and whilst you’re forcing your opponents to suffer, at the same time…’_

_‘Your own team starts to suffer as well.’_

_‘We’ll get this, we’ll get this.’_ Atsumu chants to himself as he pants. _‘We’ll get this point, we’ll win this match.’_

“Alright!” Hinata calls, snapping him out of his thoughts as he bumps up the ball, giving his teammates room to breathe as they prepare themselves for the next attack. 

_‘Synchronised attack…!’_

Kageyama tosses to Tanaka as he spikes the ball, only for Oomimi to jump up and block him as Suna gasps excitedly from the bench. 

Turning around, Kageyama swats his hand as he tries to save the ball, barely touching it as it bounces towards the end line. 

Chasing after the ball, Tsukishima reaches for it as he strains, touching it with the tips of his fingers as it falls towards the ground. 

Sawamura dives for the ball as he sends it over the net, returning it to Inarizaki as Akagi dives forwards to save it. 

“Hnng-!” 

_“Karasuno’s tenacity messes up Inarizaki’s formation, but…”_

Osamu takes a big step as he runs up to spike. 

_“Miya Osamu has jumped out from the rear of the court?!”_

_‘Please make it…!’_ Y/N internally screams as she watches the twins attempt the attack once more. 

_Twin’s Quick Attack: Minus Tempo_

_‘This timing, this place, this angle…’_

Atsumu tosses the ball to Osamu who’s already waiting in the air. 

_‘Dead on!’_

Hinata and Kageyama block the spike as it falls on Inarizaki’s side. 

Chasing after the ball, Ginjima tries to reach for it as it continues to fall, but he doesn’t make it. 

Watching as the ball bounces onto their court, Y/N vaguely sees the referee in her peripheral vision. 

It’s in. 

It’s over. 

_FWEET!_

_Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – Third Set_  
_Inarizaki [30 – 32] Karasuno_

The players all collapse onto the ground as they try to catch their breath, dripping in sweat as they slump on the floor. 

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupts in cheers. 

“…” Atsumu pants heavily as stares over at Karasuno’s side. 

“Hey, ‘Tsumu?” Osamu pants out. ‘I think we might’ve messed around a bit too much.” 

“…Yeah. I think so too, ‘Samu.” Atsumu wheezes out. 

_“Karasuno is the one to ultimately conquer this showdown that has been the fiercest of matches!”_

_“Inarizaki and the Miya twins, one of the teams favoured to win the entire tournament, eliminated in their first game!”_

_‘Shut up, shut up, shut up.’_ Y/N mentally shouts as she stares at her team in distraught. _‘It’s too soon…’_

**Winners: Karasuno High School**

_‘It’s too soon to say goodbye.’_

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	42. Captain

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 2 – Second Round_

_“Inarizaki and the Miya twins, one of the teams favoured to win the entire tournament, eliminated in their first game!”_

_“This has got to be the biggest upset of the Spring High Tournament, on Day 2 nonetheless!”_

The Inarizaki members pant heavily as they stare ahead, their exhaustion catching up to them as they vaguely see the Karasuno team celebrate. 

Ojiro and Oomimi close their eyes as they slump down, trying to regulate their breathing as Akagi squats down tiredly. 

Watching from the sidelines, Suna remains silent as he observes his seniors; the third years. He’s acutely aware that with this loss, he’ll never get to play a match with them ever again. 

Ginjima lifts his head from the floor slightly as he grits his teeth, glancing up to see the ball that he failed to save. Panting heavily, Ginjima pinches his eyes shut as he clenches his fist, dropping his head back down to the floor. 

If only he was fast enough. If only he was better. If only he was more reliable. 

He always felt like he was never enough, and it seems like the universe agrees. 

If only he was good enough… then maybe… 

Maybe they’d all be smiling right now. 

“C’mon Gin, we needa thank everyone.” Atsumu says as he and Osamu help him up. 

“Right…” He mutters in response as they all line up on the court, facing Karasuno’s side as they bow. 

“Thank you!” 

Kita walks up to shake Sawamura’s hand as they silently make eye contact, while Ojiro and Azumane quietly shake hands as well. 

Walking up to the net, Atsumu boredly stares at Kageyama as he shakes his hand. 

“See ya later then I guess, Tobio-kun.” 

“Ah, yeah.” Kageyama responds as Atsumu turns to Hinata. 

“Shouyou-kun.” 

“…Yes?” Hinata asks as he tiredly wobbles up to the net, glancing up to look at Atsumu. _‘Which one is this again…?’_

“I’m gonna set for ya, one of these days.” Atsumu declares, pointing at Hinata as he and Kageyama look at him in confusion. Atsumu’s gaze hardens as he turns away from them. 

“But before that happens, I’m gonna destroy ya in next year’s Interhigh, so you better brace yerself.” 

Osamu boredly watches Atsumu as he walks up to him, unimpressed with Atsumu’s declaration as he glances at him. 

“…Says the loser while backing away.” He mutters. 

The twins instantly start fighting and kicking each other as Y/N sighs and rolls her eyes, walking up to them and whacking the both of them on the back of the head. “Do you two ever stop fighting?” 

“Only when ‘Tsumu stops bein’ dumb.” Osamu says as Suna joins them. 

“So that’s a no.” 

“C’mon guys, we can talk about this another time.” Ginjima interrupts tiredly as the turn to look at him, glancing at each other before nodding. 

“Yeah.” 

“Gather up.” Kita calls, waiting for his teammates to line up and thank their supporters. 

The Inarizaki cheer squad claps for the team as they line up. Atsumu glares at the air ahead as he scowls and mutters under his breath. 

“Come on, diss us already.” Atsumu glowers. “The defeated don’t need yer applause.” 

“JUST SHUT UP ALREADY WILL YA ATSUMU?!!” 

Atsumu flinches in shock as his head snaps up to the cheer squad. _‘There’s no way they woulda heard me…’_

“IT’S WRITTEN ALL OVER YER FACE DUDE!!” The cheer squad’s captain yells as Atsumu flinches again. 

“Moronnn~” Osamu drones out. 

“A WELL PLAYED MATCH IS ALWAYS WORTHY OF PRAISE, YA LIL’ MORON!!” 

The crowds clap and cheer for Inarizaki as they keep their eyes trained on the floor, not finding it in them to look up at their supporters. Atsumu silently accepts the applause as he glares at the floor ahead, mentally running simulations of the match as he tries to figure out what he could have done differently. As he tries to figure out what he did _wrong_. 

Y/N looks at him worriedly, before glancing up and noticing Kita’s grandmother in the crowd, smiling as she claps for the team. 

Kita holds onto the Hyogo Inarizaki sign as he and his teammates bow. 

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!” 

Y/N helps pack up the team’s belongings as Kita gets pulled away for interviews, speaking into the microphone as he talks about the team’s loss and thanks everyone for their support. 

Coach Kurosu also stands to the side as the interviewers approach him as well. 

“What do you think are the underlying reasons for your loss?” 

“In order to win, perhaps we should have stuck more firmly to offensive plays.” Coach Kurosu answers as they nod. “That was an error on my part.” 

Smiling slightly, Coach Kurosu continues. 

“But I can say for certain that, win or lose, this was a game that will help our players grow by leaps and bounds.” 

The Inarizaki team quietly leaves the arena as they awkwardly follow the third years, trying to find the right words to say. Gulping slightly, Atsumu catches up to Kita as Osamu follows him. 

“…Ahhm-” He starts as Kita glances at him. 

“So… I’m so-” 

“Didja think you’d feel better if you apologised?” Kita asks bluntly as everyone flinches. 

“Th-THAT’S NOT HOW IT IS!!” The twins shout as Kita raises his hand. 

“It’s alright, I get it already.” Kita says. “But, one should only apologise when they really mean it.” 

“I don’t think you made a mistake by choosin’ to do that quick set right then.” Kita continues as they all watch him. “I thought you guys were gonna score, truly.” 

“Though I hafta say I hate the idea of tryin’ stuff in real games that we haven’t done in practise yet.” He deadpans. 

“…” The twins remain silent as they avoid eye contact. 

“That last rally there… We probably just picked the wrong guys to try it against.” Ojiro says as Kita nods. 

“I agree. When you two get all fired up and in the zone, you usually leave everybody else back behind you in the dust.” Kita continues. 

“But this time ‘round, the other guys were just as fired up as you two.” Kita glances back at them. “Bet you guys were excited ‘bout that.” 

Smiling, Kita turns away as he continues down the stairs. “It ain’t every day you get to play a game like that against a team like that. We got real lucky.” 

“Wait… did Kita-san just smile?” Atsumu asks in shock. 

“Yeah.” Osamu confirms. 

“I caught him smilin’ bunches during the game.” Riseki adds as the twins glance at him in shock. 

“Bunches?!” 

“Yer kiddin’!” 

“Still, for some reason, I’m awfully frustrated.” Kita interjects as they turn to him again. 

“Now, I did everything I could _properly_ , and I did it _right_. I can say I don’t have any regrets and mean it as the honest truth. Results like winning and losing, they’re still just _by-products_ that happen when I’m doin’ what I oughta be doin’.” Kita says, as they listen carefully. “But… It’s funny. Now that we’re here…” 

Kita turns to face his teammates as he smiles. 

“I wanted to be able to say, _‘Aren’t my teammates amazing?!’_ Just that little bit longer.” 

Ojiro blankly halts in his movement as he looks up at Kita in shock, processing his words. Tears well up in his eyes as he starts to tremble, while Akagi and Oomimi do their best to stop themselves from crying. 

Ginjima clenches his fists as he starts crying, tears streaming down his face as Suna looks away and pats his back in attempts to comfort him. Y/N does the same for Riseki as he pinches his eyes shut and starts sniffling. 

“Say it then.” Osamu starts, staring at Kita with unwavering conviction. 

“We’ll be the kind of teammates you can be proud of, even up till when you have great-grandkids.” Atsumu declares as he starts to tremble, clenching his fists as he tries to restrain himself from getting emotional. 

Looking back at his juniors, Kita smiles and starts to laugh as he turns away. 

“I look forward to it.” 

_**Inarizaki High School**_  
_National Interhigh Volleyball Championships_  
_Round 2 – Eliminated_

* * *

The Inarizaki third years stand idly as they patiently wait for Kita to finish up, the rest of the team is currently getting changed in the baggage storage area while they’re here. Ojiro sighs to himself as he stares at the nothingness ahead. 

“So, this is it then.” Ojiro says blankly as Akagi elbows him. “Ow!” 

“Not the time, Aran.” Akagi whispers, subtly nodding towards Kita who’s speaking quietly with his grandmother. 

“Is there ever going to be a _‘right time’_?” Oomimi asks as Akagi shrugs. 

“Whenever Shinsuke brings it up.” 

“Whenever I bring up what?” Kita asks, startling them slightly as he approaches. “I told granny that I’d show her ‘round the gymnasium after we change out of our jerseys and have lunch together. We might be a while but she said it’s fine.” 

“We could invite her to have lunch with us.” Oomimi suggests as Kita shakes his head. 

“I offered, but she said she didn’t wanna intrude on our time as a team.” 

“That makes sense~” Akagi chimes as Kita nods. 

“Yes, now what were you talkin’ about earlier? Whenever I bring up what?” Kita asks as they sweat drop. 

“Don’t know, Aran was sayin’ something. What were you sayin’, Aran?” Akagi instantly asks as they all turn to him, smiling innocently as Ojiro internally screams at him. 

“We were… discussin’ when it would be the right time to bring up that uhh…” Ojiro trails off as he vaguely makes weird hand gestures. “Y’know… to bring up-” 

“The fact that we lost and need to retire now?” Kita asks bluntly as Ojiro flinches and Oomimi facepalms. 

“Pfft- only you’d say it so bluntly, Shinsuke.” Akagi snickers. “But in hindsight, ouch.” 

“It’s true though, isn’t it?” He asks as Ojiro sighs. 

“Yes, but you didn’t needa say it like that!” Ojiro groans. “The wounds are still fresh!” 

“Our time on the team was bound to come to an end, it just ended sooner than we thought.” Oomimi says simply. 

_‘Sooner than we wanted…’_

“That’s true, Ren.” Kita nods in agreement. “But as I said before, I truly and honestly have no regrets.” 

“It’s not about havin’ regrets! We can be completely satisfied but still be sad!” Ojiro retorts as they all get taken aback by his outburst. “I’m gonna miss playin’ on the team! Those lil’ rascals! I’m gonna miss ‘em! There, I said it!” 

Kita and Oomimi blink in surprise as they make eye contact, turning back to Ojiro who’s breathing heavily. 

“Of course, I’m gonna miss it too.” Oomimi says after a moment, patting Ojiro on the shoulder. “It was nice bein’ on the same team as you all, even if our juniors are… troublesome at times.” 

“Pu-haha! Yer puttin’ it lightly, Ren.” Kita laughs. “Troublesome as they are, they’re truly amazin’.” 

“Yeah, they’ll be fine next year.” Oomimi smiles. 

“As fine as those second years can get… who knows what kind of crazy things they’ll get themselves into.” Ojiro sighs in exasperation as he runs a hand down his face. “…Inarizaki’s future is doomed.” 

“I don’t think so, I think our future is quite promising.” Kita chuckles happily. “Besides, I have complete faith in our teammates. They’ll be fine.” 

“I think so too, they certainly aren’t lacking in the skills department.” Oomimi adds as they nod. 

“I’m more talkin’ about the recklessness and sanity department…” Ojiro mutters. “Don’tcha agree, Akagi?” 

The three turn to look at Akagi, who’s staring at the ground in unusual silence. 

“…Michinari?” Kita prompts as Akagi shifts slightly under their eyes. 

“I… wanted to play more than this.” Akagi mutters quietly as he keeps his eyes trained on the ground. The three other third years glance at each other worriedly before turning their attention back to Akagi. 

Scrunching his face, Akagi starts sniffling as he lifts his head and smiles sadly. “I don’t wanna retire…” 

Ojiro starts sniffling as well as he pulls Akagi into a hug. “Don’t say stuff like that man! I’m gonna cry!” 

“Aran, you’re already crying.” Kita helpfully points out. 

“I know!” 

Oomimi smiles as pats the two of them on the back. “It’s alright, it’s not the end. Yer still gonna keep playin’ volleyball, right Aran?” 

“Yeah… I am.” Ojiro mutters out as he takes a few deep breaths. “I’m gonna go pro…” 

“Congrats man, we’re rootin’ for ya.” Akagi mutters as he starts wiping away his tears. “I might play for fun sometimes, but for the most part, I think I’m done.” 

“Yeah, same.” Oomimi says as he smiles. “I think we’re all done for now, I’ll definitely come see yer matches though.” 

“Same here.” Akagi adds as Ojiro laughs. 

“Thanks guys.” 

“…I think, I’ve spoken about how amazin’ our juniors are, quite a few times.” Kita starts as they all glance at him. “But I don’t think I’ve spoken about how amazin’ _you_ three are, not enough at least.” 

“Wait, Shinsuke, stop. I’m ‘bout to start the waterworks again.” Akagi interjects. 

“I did mean it though, I do wish I had more chances to brag about you all… Wish I had more chances to show off to everybody how amazing all my teammates are.” Kita smiles. “Guess I don’t have that chance anymore. But… next year…” 

“Next year, we can all come back and brag about our amazin’ juniors, wouldn’t that be nice?” Kita chuckles as he starts making his way down the hallway, his teammates following his lead. Turning back to face them, Kita smiles once again. “I had a lot of fun, so…” 

“Thank you, for the three years.” 

_‘I bet… across the country, there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of high school students… who had their last tournament, their last days in school sports, end before ours.’_

_‘We were lucky to make it this far, we were lucky to have spent all this time together, we were lucky… to have such wonderful juniors.’_

_‘Even so… we weren’t lucky enough. And our high school volleyball careers came to an abrupt and early end.’_

_‘But still…’_

_‘We were lucky to have played volleyball together.’_

* * *

Y/N blankly stares at the floor while sitting in the baggage storage area, waiting for her teammates to finish changing so they can go eat lunch together. 

Hearing a sudden thud, Y/N turns to the side to see Suna lying face down on the ground, he finally finished changing and decided to collapse right there. Rolling her eyes, Y/N nudges his arm with her foot. 

“Rintarou, get up.” 

Suna doesn’t respond as he starts fake snoring, making Y/N sigh in exasperation as she grabs his arm and tries to pull him up. 

“C’mon Rintarou, I’m not strong enough to pull ya up.” 

“I’m sleeping.” He retorts as she chuckles. 

“No yer not.” 

Lifting his head up, Suna glances up at her for a moment before sighing to himself as he slowly starts to get up. Sitting beside her, Suna relaxes his body as he exhales. “Made you smile.” 

“Huh?” Y/N asks as she turns to him. 

“You haven’t smiled since the match, thought you forgot how to.” Suna shrugs in disinterest as he takes out his phone, yawning to himself. “Anyway, I think I’m going to pass out.” 

“I’m honestly impressed that you’ve stayed awake this long.” Y/N says as she watches him start to wobble in his seat. “Don’t fall asleep here, we needa go soon.” 

“How soon is soon? The third years aren’t even here.” Suna mutters as Y/N blankly stares at the ground. 

“They said they’d be back.” Atsumu interrupts as he sits down in front of them. “We can just do whatever we want while we wait for ‘em.” 

“Where are they anyway?” Osamu asks boredly as he carefully unwraps an onigiri, despite starting to nod off as he clumsily sits down. “What are they doin’?” 

“Probably whatever we’ll be doin’ in a year’s time.” Y/N answers as she sighs. “Guess we’ll know when we get there.” 

“Except next year we’ll be celebratin’ our victory.” Atsumu declares as they all stare at him with dead eyes. “What?? We’ll destroy ‘em all next year!” 

“It’s amazing that you can stay optimistic even in these circumstances.” Suna drones out as Atsumu huffs. 

“I’m not bein’ optimistic, I’m just sayin’! When we’re third years, we’re gonna beat ‘em all!” 

“Okay then.” The three of them deadpan as Atsumu groans. 

“Don’t ignore me!” 

“I’m sorry.” 

The four of them pause as they glance to the side. 

“Gin?” Atsumu asks as Ginjima keeps his eyes trained on the floor, nervously shuffling as they look at him. 

“I’m sorry.” He repeats, glancing around the area as he avoids making eye contact. “I’m sorry for… not saving that last one.” 

“That’s not yer bad at all, Gin. Even Kita-san said that one was no one’s fault.” Atsumu says as he tilts his head to the side. “So don’t go thinkin’ it’s yer fault.” 

“Yeah, if anythin’, it was ‘Tsumu’s fault for tossin’ it to me.” Osamu adds as Atsumu scowls. 

“Well it was yer fault for jumpin’ as well!” 

“Isn’t the setter in charge of what plays get made though?” Suna deadpans as the twins start bickering once again. 

Sighing to herself, Y/N glances over to Ginjima once again, watching as he frowns at the ground. 

_‘It’s not just that… I have a lot more to be sorry for.’_ Ginjima grimaces as he holds his hands together. _‘I’m sorry… for not being better.’_

“Hitoshi, what’s wrong?” Y/N asks, snapping him out of his thoughts as he looks at them again, walking over to sit down with the group as he smiles sheepishly. 

“It’s nothin’… just thinking about the match is all.” Ginjima sighs as Atsumu nods. 

“Yeah~ I’m replayin’ everything right now.” Atsumu says as he shrugs. “We’re gonna needa do a bunch of practise if we wanna make sure we beat ‘em next year.” 

“I know right, I’m gonna make you all watch the match over and over again.” Y/N deadpans as they groan. “Don’t give me that, I’m gonna make sure every second of the match is engrained into yer minds.” 

“Is it too late to drop out?” Suna asks as she rolls her eyes. 

“As if you’d drop out.” 

“Why not? What if some amazing middle blocker comes and replaces me? Might as well leave if I’m not going to be on the court.” Suna shrugs as Y/N sighs. 

“Even if we got an amazing middle blocker, we’d still need you. There’s meant to be two middle blockers on court.” 

“…And the third years aren’t gonna be here anymore.” Osamu mutters as they all sigh. “So we’re gonna need some good players to fill in the holes…” 

“That’s true. We should do our best to train the current first years though, who knows? Some of ‘em might make next year’s team.” Atsumu shrugs. 

“…You three don’t needa worry about bein’ replaced.” Ginjima mumbles as they glance at him. 

“Uhh, yeah. We know.” Atsumu says. “Suna was just jokin’.” 

“You don’t needa worry about bein’ replaced either, Hitoshi.” Y/N adds as he glances at her blankly. “You’re vital for Inarizaki’s offence and defence, so you don’t have anything to worry about.” 

Ginjima blinks in surprise as he pauses for a moment, before smiling slightly. “Yeah, I know.” 

_‘I know that, but…’_ Ginjima’s smile drops as he grimaces slightly. _‘I can see it already. He doesn’t need to be a genius, he just needs to be better than me.’_

_‘A first year could easily replace me… and I’ve accepted that.’_

The second years sit in silence as the fatigue of the match catches up to them. They don’t have the energy to joke around. 

Osamu wobbles around in his seat as he starts to nod off, half eaten onigiri in his hand as Atsumu tiredly watches him, leaning on the wall in attempts to conserve the last of his energy. 

Blinking heavily at his phone, Suna scrolls through his apps in disinterest as Ginjima blankly stares at the floor. 

“I’m gonna go fill up the water bottles.” Y/N announces suddenly as the four of them flinch, Suna dropping his phone as they glance at her. 

“D’ya want us to come?” Atsumu asks. 

“Nah, s’fine.” Y/N waves him off as she stands up, collecting her bag as she gets ready to leave. “You guys are all exhausted anyways, so don’t worry ‘bout it. I won’t be long.” 

“If yer sure…” Osamu mutters as she nods. 

“I’ll be back soon.” 

* * *

_‘Logically, I knew that it would be possible for us to not emerge victorious. I knew that.’_

_‘But maybe it was because I was so close, maybe it was because I watched them grow, maybe it was because we all overcame our difficulties together…’_

_‘Maybe it was because I wasn’t ready for us to say goodbye…’_

_‘I didn’t think we’d be defeated. I didn’t_ want _to think it. Not us, not them.’_

_‘Maybe… because of everything we went through…’_

_‘I truly started to believe that we were invincible.’_

* * *

Filling up the final water bottle, Y/N blankly closes it as she packs it away into her bag, adjusting it. It’s the same routine she does after every match, but for some reason... it feels a little empty now, almost as if she was running on autopilot. 

Blankly glancing at her bag, Y/N pauses for a moment, before slinging it over her shoulder and sighing to herself. 

“Hey.”

Y/N turns around at the voice, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as her body deflates and she starts to relax. 

“Hey...” She responds, smiling slightly as he approaches her. 

Sakusa stares directly into her eyes as they remain silent, comfortable in each other's company. After a moment, Sakusa clears his throat. "Your team played well." 

It takes a few seconds for her to truly process his words, and she smiles slightly at them. “Of course.” 

“It was a remarkable match.” Sakusa adds simply as she nods, falling into another comfortable silence as he watches her carefully. It's all so sombre. “...Are you alright?” 

Blinking a few times, Y/N shrugs slightly. “I think so.” 

Sakusa nods a few times as he sighs, taking his hands out of his pockets as he reaches for her bag and gently tugs it off her shoulder, not taking his eyes off of her as he slings it over his and Y/N blinks in surprise. “Oh, you don't hafta-” 

“It's fine.” Sakusa says simply as he stares at her, pausing for a moment. “I'll walk you back to your team.” 

Y/N smiles softly as she nods, eyes trained on the ground as they start making their way down the hallway in silence. Glancing around, Y/N fiddles with her fingers as Sakusa keeps his eyes forward. After a few moments, Y/N finally breaks the silence. 

“Thank you, Sakusa.” 

Glancing at her, Sakusa nods once. 

“It's a pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright be honest, who cried. 
> 
> I knew exactly what I was going to put into this chapter, I knew it all beforehand... But actually sitting down and writing it... I blankly stared at my screen so many times :')) I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless~ =w=
> 
> 42 chapters huh... that's how long we've been building up to this moment... :')) Feels almost surreal that we're here now, I'm touched that you're all still reading~ 
> 
> Anyway~ I didn't really have the intention of including my art unless it was Haikyuu-relevant, but you're all so nice about seeing it so :'D Here's some sketches of me:
> 
> That being said... :)
> 
> Do you guys realise that after nationals arc, you're all completely at my mercy? :) Just something nice to think about. Afterall...
> 
> You _do_ know what happens after nationals, right? :)
> 
> ~~~  
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	43. The Promised Place

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 2 – Second Round_

“Shouldn’t you be warmin’ up and preparin’ for yer first match, Sakusa?” Y/N asks as they make their way to the baggage storage area. 

Glancing at her, Sakusa shrugs slightly. “My match isn’t for a while since it’s later in the day, so it’ll be fine.” 

“What team are you versin’?” 

“Ohya Tech High.” Sakusa answers simply. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.” 

“I don’t doubt you at all.” Y/N chuckles. “You sure are confident though, I was also pretty certain that we’d have no issues…” 

“The truth of the matter, is that no one’s victory is guaranteed. In sports, the results are incredibly unpredictable, no matter how hard we train and prepare. Sometimes, the ‘better’, more popular team doesn’t win.” Sakusa says simply. “Still… regardless of the end result, you team played well, and you were all well-prepared. I think that’s more than enough reason to be satisfied.” 

Dwelling on his words for a little, Y/N thinks to herself. 

“That’s a nice way to look at it…” Y/N says after a while. “But I also think, regardless of circumstances or results, anyone can feel frustrated and upset, even if there isn’t a reason to. People can’t help how they feel afterall.” 

Sakusa blinks a few times as he tries to process her words. “…I see.” 

Opening the door, Y/N and Sakusa enter the baggage storage area to find the Inarizaki second years still lounging around. Glancing up, Suna boredly looks over to them and turns back to his phone, before doing a double-take and dropping his phone on his face. 

“Owack-!” 

The others get startled by Suna’s sudden outburst and glance up as well, blinking in surprise as they silently make eye contact with each other. Y/N rolls her eyes as she walks over to them, Sakusa following behind in disinterest. 

“Hello my fellow teammates, I have returned as promised.” Y/N deadpans as they quickly make room for her to sit down with them. “Rintarou, close yer mouth, you’ll catch flies.” 

“Whaddya doin’ here, Sakusa?” Atsumu asks as Sakusa shrugs. 

“None of your business, Miya.” 

“They have secrets…” Suna whispers under his breath as they all ignore him. 

“Ah, I ran into Sakusa while fillin’ up the water bottles and yeah.” Y/N explains as her teammates nod very slowly, watching Sakusa’s every move with extra attention to detail. 

Ignoring their scrutinising gazes, Sakusa calmly takes off Y/N’s bag and carefully hands it to her. 

“Ah- thanks.” 

“It’s alright.” Sakusa nods. “I’ll be taking my leave now, before Komori starts calling me for information on my whereabouts.” 

“Wait-!” Suna blurts out as they all turn to him. “…Do you want to come to our team lunch?” 

“What the hell man?” Atsumu whispers as Sakusa tilts his head in confusion. 

“…I go to Itachiyama Academy.” 

“So?” 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N lets out a sigh as she turns to Sakusa. “Sorry ‘bout him, just ignore whatever weird thing he spews out of his mouth… Thanks for walkin’ me back.” 

“It’s alright… I’ll see you later then.” Sakusa nods slowly as he walks away, the five Inarizaki students watching his every movement as he leaves. Once he leaves, Y/N elbows Suna in the side. 

“Ack-! Ow!” Suna groans as she turns to him with dead eyes. 

“Invitin’ him to lunch? Really?” She deadpans as Suna rolls his eyes. 

“You don’t get it Y/N. He only has eyes for you.” Suna insists as she stares at him, unimpressed. “When he was talking to you, he was seriously only looking at you!” 

“Yes, people tend to look at the person they’re talkin’ to.” Y/N sighs as she boredly takes out her phone. 

“Yeah, anxiety who?” Ginjima mutters under his breath. 

“You… you’re friends with Sakusa.” Atsumu mumbles in distraught, standing up as he starts to stagger around. “ _Actually friends_ … with Sakusa…” 

“Is he okay?” Y/N deadpans as Osamu turns away. 

“Never has been.” 

“N/N… is friends… with Sakusa…” Atsumu repeats again as Suna pats his shoulder and shakes his head. 

“Not for long…” Suna mutters under his breath. 

“Yer implications make it worse! Suna!” Atsumu groans as he bangs his head on the floor. 

“What’s goin’ on here?” 

“GEH-!” Atsumu jumps in shock as Kita tilts his head in confusion. “Kita-san!” 

Staring at Atsumu for a moment, Kita decides to ignore his outburst as he turns to the rest of the second years. “Coach Kurosu just informed me that the bus is ready for us, we’ll be goin’ out for lunch now.” 

“YES!” Osamu cheers in excitement as they all flinch. “Sorry.” 

“…Alright. We’ll be leaving soon, so prepare yourselves.” Kita says as they all nod. 

“Alright!” 

* * *

“I bet I can fit three Takoyaki in my mouth!” Atsumu declares proudly as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“I bet I can fit five.” 

“Bring it on!” Atsumu challenges as Y/N shakes her head. 

“I bet I can fit both of yer brains in the palm of my hand.” Y/N deadpans as Atsumu turns to her and tilts his head. “Coz only one of you has a brain… albeit small.” 

“Wait, who has the brain??” Atsumu asks as Y/N ignores him and turns back to her meal. “N/N! Who has the brain??” 

“I wonder.” Osamu mutters sarcastically as Atsumu takes his words seriously. 

“I wonder as well… Maybe we can decide who has the brain by seein’ who can fit the most Takiyaki’s in their mouth!” Atsumu suggests excitedly as everyone does their best to resist the urge to make fun of Atsumu’s lack of intelligence. 

“Or, we could eat lunch, like normal people.” Ginjima suggests as Atsumu firmly shakes his head. 

“Nuh-uh! We needa see who has the brain!” 

“This is so sad…” Akagi mumbles as Oomimi sighs and nods in agreement. 

“I wonder how Atsumu-kun’s fangirls would feel if they found out that he’s actually like this…” Kagawa mutters as Inoue smiles sheepishly. 

“How is eating Takoyaki gonna decide who has a brain??” Ojiro groans as he points at Atsumu. “Your head and your stomach aren’t connected like that!” 

“How would you know, Aran-kun? Do you have a brain?” Atsumu asks. 

“YES!” 

“Then prove it by eatin’ five Takoyaki at once!” Atsumu cheers as everyone facepalms. 

“Only five? Why not prove you have an even bigger brain and try fit seven?” Suna suggests as Atsumu’s competitivity starts to skyrocket. 

“YEAH-!” 

“No.” Kita cuts in as Atsumu freezes. “The food placed on the table has been made possible by the effort and hard work of those who graciously prepared it for us. To consume their efforts so carelessly is to disrespect their hard work.” 

“Damn… that was so eloquently put.” Y/N mutters under her breath as Osamu and Ginjima nod. 

“…Yes Kita-san.” Atsumu mumbles as he turns back to his food and pouts, having wanted to take up the challenge. 

Staring at Atsumu for a bit, Suna turns back to the rest of the group. “So I think we already know which brother the brain belongs to.” 

“Wait, who??” 

Kita quietly eats his meal as he watches over his playful teammates. They’re causing a ruckus as usual, teasing and making fun of each other as they eat their lunch. He’s glad that they’re all having fun as usual, it wouldn’t be good if they were sullen. 

Smiling slightly, Kita takes another bite of his food, before glancing to the side and noticing Coach Kurosu also smiling at their team. 

“Whaddya thinkin’, Shinsuke?” Coach Kurosu asks as Kita blankly turns his attention back to his team. 

“…I am thinking that this is nice, although noisy.” Kita admits as he smiles fondly. “There have been times when the team becomes quiet and sullen after a loss, however, it seems like their spirits aren’t broken at all.” 

Suna snickers as he shows a recording of Atsumu sliding around the gym without his shoes on, pretending to be an ice skater as he uses his socks to try glide around the room. Of course, this was an absolute failure because he tripped and fell on his face, making the team burst out into laughter as Atsumu groans and blushes from embarrassment. 

“In fact… I find it quite nice.” Kita chuckles as Atsumu tries to snatch Suna’s phone away, only for Suna to smirk down on him as he waves his phone around tauntingly. 

“Oh really? That’s surprising for ya, Shinsuke. Thought you’d want ‘em to behave and stop muckin’ around.” Coach Kurosu muses. 

“…I think it’s fine to have fun, every now and then.” Kita says after a while. “I admit… I’ll miss this when I graduate.” 

“Ah, already thinkin’ about that huh?” Coach Kurosu asks as Kita nods. “I s’pose it can’t be helped, time is runnin’ out for you third years.” 

“Yes, it is.” 

“Hmm… D’ya know what you wanna do after you graduate?” Coach Kurosu asks as Kita turns to him with clear and unwavering eyes. 

“Yes.” 

“Oh? That’s good then~” Coach Kurosu chuckles as he turns his attention back to the chaos. “I hope things go well.” 

“Thank you.” Kita says before pausing for a moment. “…Thank you.” 

“Hm?” 

“Thank you for believing in me in middle school, and recruiting me to join Inarizaki.” Kita says as Coach Kurosu blinks in surprise. “And… thank you for entrusting with the title of _‘Captain’_.” 

Coach Kurosu takes a moment to process Kita’s words as he stares at him, faintly aware of the chatter in the background. Finally regaining his bearings, Coach Kurosu chuckles. 

“Nah, there’s nothin’ to thank me for.” Smiling, Coach Kurosu turns back to look at the team. “You deserve the title, you earned it afterall.” 

“I merely did what I was supposed to do.” 

“Humble as always~” Coach Kurosu laughs. “There was no one more suited to be team Captain than you, Shinsuke. I knew I could entrust the team to your care.” 

Nodding a few times, Kita thinks for a bit. “Have you decided on a team Captain… for next year?” 

“…Let’s not talk about that.” 

“Let’s go get bubble tea!” Ojiro suggests as the team sweat drops. 

“…We just ate.” 

“All the more reason!” Ojiro grins as they hesitantly glance around at each other. “Why am I the only one that’s enthusiastic??” 

“Yeah!! Let’s go get bubble tea!!!” Akagi cheers loudly before bursting out into laughter. “Nah but seriously, let’s go!” 

Turning to Coach Kurosu, he shakes his head in exasperation and sighs. 

“I don’t have any problems with it since you guys deserve a treat, but it’s probably best if a small group went to go order the drinks while the rest of us get back to Tokyo Gymnasium.” Coach Kurosu says as they nod along. “So, who wants to go?” 

“I do!” Atsumu calls in excitement. 

“It would be better for you to stay with the team and go back.” Kita cuts in as they all turn to him. “I think us third years should order for everyone, surely that wouldn’t be an issue?” 

“I’m good with it! Sounds fun!” Akagi cheers. 

“Yep, sounds good.” 

“Wouldn’t it be expensive though?” Suna asks. “How are we going to arrange the costs and stuff?” 

“Are you volunteering to pay for us?” Y/N asks innocently as Suna glares at her. “Relax, I’m just joking~ Our club has a big budget for a reason y’know.” 

“That won’t be necessary.” Kita says. “It’s alright, the four of us can cover the costs ourselves.” 

“Are’ya sure Kita-san? You don’t hafta…” Ginjima trails off as Akagi grins. 

“It’s all good! Let yer senpai’s treat ya!” 

“S-senpai…” The juniors trail off as they start tearing up, sparkles in their eyes. 

“Alright kids, get back to the bus.” Coach Kurosu sighs as he turns to the third years. “Are’ya gonna be okay with findin’ yer way back?” 

“Of course, we will return shortly.” Kita says as he nods. Once the rest of the Inarizaki team has boarded their bus and left, the third years blankly turn to each other. 

“…Does anyone know the way to any bubble tea stores in the area?” Oomimi asks as Ojiro and Akagi sweat drop, avoiding eye contact until Kita sighs. 

Taking out his phone, Kita starts searching for nearby stores while the other three third years watch him in anticipation. 

“I found one nearby, let’s go.” 

“In Kita we trust.” Ojiro mutters as they start to follow him. 

* * *

“Looks like Fukurodani won their match a while ago.” Y/N observes as she looks at the results bracket. “Itachiyama’s match with Ohya Tech is currently ongoing though, d’ya wanna check it out?” 

“Nothin’ much else to check out.” Atsumu shrugs. “What set are they on?” 

“As if I’d know.” Y/N deadpans as they start making their way over to the court. “We’ll see when we get there.” 

“They’re probably winning.” Suna mumbles boredly. “Ohya Tech isn’t that good anyway, they don’t stand a chance~” 

“Woah, rude much? Every team that made it to nationals is strong.” Y/N says. 

“Ehhhhh reallyyy thoughhh? Are they _allllll_ strong?” 

“I bet there are stronger teams that didn’t make it to nationals~” Atsumu chimes as he looks at his nails in disinterest. “But then again, you’d still be really weak if you can’t even make it.” 

“Turd.” Osamu deadpans. 

“I just heard a bunch of people from other prefectures start screamin’.” Y/N sighs. “You already insult the people you know, are’ya gonna insult the people you don’t even know now?” 

“What? Am I wrong?” Atsumu asks. “Nationals is where the best team in every prefecture goes, but even then, some of the teams here are still weak~” 

“I feel like we should make him shut up before we make more enemies…” Ginjima mumbles as they all unanimously agree. 

Arriving at the E court, the Inarizaki second years wordlessly move forward to get a good look at the match. 

“Looks like Itachiyama took the first set.” Suna observes. 

“Yeah, they’re also winnin’ by a large margin now, so they’re probs gonna win in straight sets.” Y/N says as Atsumu nods. 

“See? There are weak teams here~” 

“I think you fail to acknowledge that we’ve also lost to Itachiyama before.” Ginjima deadpans. “…Like, every time we’ve played.” 

“…” Atsumu ignores Ginjima as they all sweat drop, turning back to the match. 

“Iizuna!” Komori calls as he bumps the ball up and Iizuna positions himself. Glancing at Sakusa, Iizuna jumps up to set as the Ohya Tech blockers start moving. 

Only for Iizuna to dump the ball above them. 

“Go, go, Tsukasa! Fight, fight, Tsukasa!” 

“Nice!!” Atsumu gasps in delight as his eyes start sparkling. “Iizuna is amazing!” 

“Yeah…” Osamu agrees, eyes sparkling as well. 

“Sakusa! Nice serve!” 

Sakusa tosses the volleyball back and forth between his hands as he prepares for his serve. Tossing the ball into the air, Sakusa runs up to serve. 

_BAM!_

_FWEET!_

_“NO-TOUCH SERVICE ACE!!!”_

_“SUCH VELOCITY! SUCH ACCURACY! YOU JUST CAN’T EXPECT THESE KIND OF SERVES TO BE SAVED!”_

_“Itachiyama’s second year ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi! Scoring a flawless no-touch service ace like this! He is truly a star player, and all-rounder! Is there anything he can’t do??”_

“I can do that too!” Atsumu screeches as the rest of the Inarizaki second years facepalm. “Setters are cooler anyway! No need to hype Sakusa up so much!” 

“What’s he so salty about?” Y/N deadpans. 

“‘Tsumu just wants to be the centre of attention, he loves it when people talk about him but hates it when people talk about someone he hates.” Osamu sighs as Suna perks up. 

“So, he’s jealous.” 

“I’m not!” Atsumu groans. “Tch… stupid Sakusa… playin’ on the court…” 

Atsumu continues to grumble under his breath as they all sigh once again. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Ojiro asks as the third years approach, startling them as they turn around. “Oh yeah, we’re back.” 

“We got lost.” Akagi deadpans. 

“No we didn’t!” 

“We did.” Kita confirms as Ojiro starts sulking. “But it is alright, we made it back.” 

“Aran-kun got lost huh?” Atsumu cheerfully asks. 

“Yep, Aran-kun got lost.” Osamu nods along. 

“Poor Aran-kun! Maybe it was coz’ we weren’t there, right ‘Samu?” 

“Of course, ‘Tsumu.” 

“Don’t worry Aran-kun, you can follow us around!” Atsumu cheers as Ojiro groans, shoving the bubble tea drinks in their faces. 

“Just take these and stop talkin’!” 

“Wow, Aran-kun is so mean.” Atsumu tuts as he shakes his head, loudly slurping his bubble tea. “So mean, so mean.” 

“I know right, even though we’re so nice.” Osamu sighs, taking a few sips of his bubble tea. 

“Can you guys have this conversation when I’m not here?” Y/N deadpans. “I can feel my brain deteriorating at the sounds of yer voices.” 

“Maybe if it deteriorates enough, you’ll be on the same wavelength as them.” Suna says as Y/N scrunches her face in disgust. 

“Ew no, I’d rather die.” 

“I’d rather death too, no matter the second option.” Suna nods solemnly, as if he were speaking wise words. “Offer me anything you want… I’d still choose death.” 

“Lowkey sounds romantic.” Y/N scoffs. 

“Oh? Romance? Funny of you to bring up romance considering the fact that we are currently watching-” 

“A public murder.” Y/N deadpans, turning to Suna who shrugs in disinterest. 

“Fine fine~ Be like that then~” 

“Why are you so persistent about this anyway, Suna?” Ginjima asks. 

“It’s fun.” Suna answers simply. “If I’m wrong, then oh well~ But if I’m right…” 

Suna smirks to himself as he starts snickering, making the surrounding people concerned as it slowly morphs into evil cackling. 

“Is he gonna stop laughin’ and tell us or is he just gonna laugh for an uncomfortably long amount of time?” Y/N deadpans. 

“If I’m right, then that’s the ultimate win ever!” Suna cheers as he stops laughing, turning to her. “Not only would I prove you all wrong and reign as the supreme leader of correctness, but you, who has been so deprived of love your whole life, will finally experience something.” 

“…Supreme leader of correctness?” 

“That’s the only part you’re paying attention to??” 

“I think I should just accept the fact that all my teammates are insane.” Ginjima sighs to himself as he slumps, holding his head in his hands. “Why did I choose this school…” 

_FWEET!_

The sound of the whistle snaps them all out of their thoughts as they glance at the scoreboard. 

_Itachiyama [25 – 17] Ohya Tech_

“Ohh, they won.” Atsumu comments. “Not surprising~” 

“Winning in straight sets huh? Nice.” Y/N mutters as she watches the Itachiyama team and Ohya Tech team shake hands and thank their audience. “Guess we’ll see ‘em playin’ tomorrow.” 

“Eh, maybe.” Atsumu shrugs. “I kinda wanna watch Karasuno instead, they’re more interesting.” 

“We can decide which matches we would like to watch when the time comes. For now, we need to gather up the rest of the team so we can prepare to leave.” Kita says as they all turn to him. “We had a long day today, so I’m sure yer all exhausted. Let’s get back to the hotel and get some rest.” 

“‘Kay~” 

“Kagawa-chan? Are’ya with Inoue-chan?” Y/N speaks into her phone as she glances around the hallway. “That’s good. We’re gonna go soon so just stay there for now, I’m comin’.” 

Hanging up, Y/N swiftly navigates her way around the crowds of people as she makes her way to the shirts stall. Since all the matches have now finished, there is an abundance of people in the hallway, making it difficult for her to get to her destination quickly. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Y/N smiles sheepishly as she walks through, dodging everyone. Sighing to herself, as her expression drops. 

_‘I hate crowds…’_

Accidentally bumping into someone, Y/N stumbles back until someone grabs her arm to stabilise her. 

“Woah- Are you okay?” 

Turning around, Y/N blinks in shock. “Iizuna-senpai!” 

“Yep, nice to see you again, uhh…” Iizuna scrunches his face up as he tries to remember her name. 

“L/N Y/N.” 

“L/N-san! I remember you!” Iizuna chuckles sheepishly. “Sorry, I just never knew your name…” 

“It’s fine, I didn’t think you’d even remember me to be honest.” 

“Nah, of course I remember! Our team has versed yours heapsss of times.” Iizuna chuckles. “Oh, we’re kind of blocking traffic so is there anywhere you need to go?” 

“Ah, I was just going to the shirts stall coz’ the other managers are there.” Y/N answers as Iizuna nods along. 

“That’s great! I’m headed in that direction so I can walk you there. Oh- I know you already know my name but it feels kind of rude to have you introduce yourself even though I didn’t. I’m Iizuna Tsukasa.” 

“Well, it’s nice to formerly meet you, Iizuna-senpai.” Y/N smiles as they start making their way down the hallway. “I watched yer match with Ohya Tech, congrats on winnin’.” 

“Thanks! I also saw a bit of the end of your match with Karasuno, it looked really _intense_ and I have to say, it was an amazing match.” Iizuna smiles. “Although I’m a little bummed out that this means I don’t get to play you guys again. Ah- sorry that might be a bit insensitive of me to say.” 

“No it’s fine, I would have also liked to play against yer team too, but alas some things aren’t meant to be~” Y/N hums as Tsukasa smiles. 

“Yeah, ah well~ You’ll still watch the rest of the matches right? Any teams you particularly want to watch?” Iizuna asks. 

“Itachiyama of course. Now that we’re out of the running, I think majority of the audience is expecting you guys to win.” Y/N breathes out a laugh. “You guys have always beaten us, so I do particularly like analysin’ yer matches~ And Sakusa and Komori-kun are also on the team so that’s a bonus, supporting yer friends y’know?” 

_‘Sakusa has friends??’_ Iizuna internally asks as he blinks in surprise. 

“Usually the twins are lookin’ forward to yer matches as well, but I think they’re more interested in Karasuno this time ‘round coz of what happened.” Y/N shrugs. “Can’t blame ‘em, Karasuno seems interesting.” 

“Yeah they do, I wonder if we’d get a chance to play against them…” Iizuna trails off in thought. 

“L/N-chan! Over here!” 

Y/N and Iizuna snap out of their thoughts as they glance to the side, seeing Kagawa waving at them as Inoue peeks out from behind her. 

“Ah, that’s my cue to go I guess. Thanks for walkin’ me here, Iizuna-senpai, it was nice talkin’ to ya.” Y/N smiles as he grins in response. 

“No problem! I was headed this way anyway so it was no trouble.” 

“Still, thank you.” Y/N smiles once again. “Also, can’ya tell Sakusa and Komori-kun that I wanna congratulate ‘em for their match? I mean, technically I can just call them but… y’know…” 

Iizuna laughs as he nods. “Yep, it’s all good. Anyway I’ll catch you later!” 

“See ya.” Y/N waves as Iizuna grins at her and makes his way down the hallway. Approaching the other managers, Y/N smiles at them as they smile back. “Ready to go?” 

“Yep~ I’m so exhausted I just wanna collapse on my bed.” Kagawa sighs. “That was Iizuna right? Itachiyama’s captain?” 

“Ya.” 

“He’s so handsome…” Kagawa sighs deeply. “I swear, Itachiyama members are all so good looking…” 

“You say that like we have a shortage of good lookin’ guys at Inarizaki.” Y/N chuckles. 

“Our team is good lookin’ until they open their mouths.” Kagawa deadpans. “With exception of a few of course.” 

“Of course.” Y/N smiles as she shakes her head, turning to Inoue. “You alright? Sorry that I left you to deal with Kagawa-chan for the whole day.” 

“Hey!” 

“It’s fine! I like spending time with Kagawa-san!” Inoue smiles cheerfully. “Although I also like spending time with you too! L/N-senpai!” 

“Aww that’s kind of you.” Y/N smiles. “Anyway, we probs needa go before Coach Kurosu sends out the team to search for us.” 

“Yep~ Let’s go~” 

* * *

Y/N sighs to herself and rubs her eyes tiredly as Coach Kurosu turns off the TV. The members are all resting in their room while she and the coaches decided to rewatch their match with Karasuno to analyse it while the game was still fresh. 

“I’m so tired…” Y/N complains as Coach Kurosu rolls his eyes. 

“Aren’t you the one that insisted it would be a good idea to watch the match?” He deadpans. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I hafta like my own ideas…” Y/N groans. 

“Your ideas are good but they just seem to make yer life harder.” Coach Oomi laughs as Y/N sighs sadly. 

“Yes, that does seem to be the case~” Y/N agrees as she stretches in her seat before turning to the coaches. “So, you worried for next year’s team?” 

“Nah, I think it’s gonna be fine.” Coach Kurosu chuckles. 

“Speak for yerself, I think I’m gonna pass away from the amount of stress I’m already feeling.” Coach Oomi deadpans. 

“Don’t be so dramatic~” 

“You think I’m bein’ dramatic?? Have you seen our second years??” 

“They’re very skilled~” Coach Kurosu muses. 

“And destructive.” Coach Oomi deadpans. “Our third years are all mature and hardworking, meanwhile…” 

“Well, I personally think our future’s really bright~” Y/N chimes as Coach Oomi turns to her with dead eyes. 

“You’re included in the chaos team. I don’t trust you either.” 

“What??” 

“Haha! Let’s not worry ourselves yet~” Coach Kurosu laughs. 

“Yeah Coach Oomi, don’t worry yerself yet.” Y/N jokes. 

Pausing for a moment, Coach Oomi narrows his eyes at her. “…Our next generation of third years scare me. But you scare me the most…” 

“Aww thanks!” Y/N cheers, before instantly dropping her fake smile and turning to Coach Kurosu. “Anyways, you got any ideas for who yer gonna choose as the next captain?” 

“Potentially.” 

“Ohhh! Tell me!” Y/N says excitedly as Coach Kurosu chuckles. 

“I think you already know.” 

“…Well that’s boring.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Just joking, no I'm not.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! =w= I've been pretty exhausted lately but I really wanted to get this done before diving into my pile of uni work because I legit have 4 huge assignments due in the next 3 weeks... =_= Each are worth around 30% of their respective subjects... _*head in hands*_
> 
> We also have a two week "break" but haha 3 of those assignments are due in that break! 🤩🤩 I love it 🤩🤩🤩
> 
> Anyway~ I drew the Inarizaki Third Years at a bubble tea store! OuO
> 
> There was official art of Aran and Kita drinking bubble tea together, so I drew Akagi and Oomimi with them too =w= I'm currently working on a series of Inarizaki-based art (for reasons...) so stay tuned for that! :)
> 
> That being said, thankyou for reading! I can't wait to wrap up the rest of Nationals arc so we can... continue further... :)
> 
> ~~~  
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	44. The Day of Change

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 3 – Third Round & Quaterfinals_

“C’mon! Karasuno’s match is about to begin!” Atsumu exclaims excitedly as he drags Y/N along, Osamu quietly following behind. “Let’s go let’s go let’s go!” 

“Why are’ya so excited.” Y/N deadpans. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this excited to see another team play, school team that is.” 

“Huh?? Don’tcha wanna see Tobio-kun and Shouyou-kun play??” 

“I mean… sure.” Y/N sighs as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“This is what I live with.” 

“My condolences.” 

_“Karasuno High School has defeated Shiratorizawa Academy, who had Ushijima on their team, one of the nation’s top 3 aces. In addition, yesterday they eliminated one of the favourites for the championship, Inarizaki High School, with the Miya twins.”_

“Did they hafta bring that up?” Atsumu groans. 

“Well, pretty much everyone thought we were gonna win this time, or at least make top 3. So it’s a big shock.” Y/N shrugs. 

_“Will the fallen powerhouse-of-old ride their momentum to the top?! Or will the guardian cats thwart them?!”_

_“Karasuno serves first.”_

_“Kageyama Tobio, who racked up service aces in leaps and bounds yesterday will take the first serve.”_

Kageyama spins the volleyball in his hands as Osamu opens a bento box, alerting Atsumu and Y/N as they look at him. 

“What?” 

“We’re gonna eat lunch together later…” Y/N trails off as Osamu starts eating. 

“So?” 

Atsumu and Y/N wordlessly turn back to the match. 

_“Well then, let the match begin!”_

Kageyama tosses the ball into the air as he sends over a powerful serve, but Nekoma’s Kai manages to get it up, shocking the audience. 

Kozuma tosses to Haiba as Hinata watches him carefully, jumping up to block as Haiba spikes it down to Nishinoya. 

Shifting to the side, Kageyama follows through and tosses the ball to Tanaka, who spikes the ball, evading Nekoma’s blockers as Yamamoto saves it. Reaching for the ball, Haiba pushes it down as Daichi manages to bump it up for Kageyama to set. 

Hinata jumps into the air as Kageyama sets the ball, spiking it down as Kozume moves to receive it, but it bounces away. 

_Nekoma [00 – 01] Karasuno_

_“Th-They left the live broadcasting in the dust…! The rally is at a lightning pace right off the bat…!”_

“Whoa… that’s insane.” Y/N mutters as she looks at the court in interest. “The fact that they’re all able to play like that straight away…” 

“I think Karasuno’s played with the kitty-cats a lot if both teams are _that_ in sync.” Atsumu says as the match continues. “I don’t think we’ve ever played against the kitty-cats before?” 

“Nah, I think this is the first time they made it to nationals in five years.” 

“Ohh really?” Osamu asks as she nods. 

“Ya, representin’ Tokyo is always really competitive y’know. They were only able to make it coz Tokyo’s allowed three representatives this time.” 

“Lame~” Atsumu chimes as they roll their eyes. 

“Their defence is great though, they keep pickin’ up uhh Tobio-kun’s serve, the number 2 guy.” Osamu comments as he vaguely gestures at Kai. “All their positioning is really good too.” 

“Mmm yeah, it’s well coordinated and thought-out.” Y/N agrees as she nods along, before turning to the twins with dead eyes. “Imagine having a team that works together like that instead of going off and doin’ their own thing.” 

Atsumu and Osamu sweat drop as they avoid eye contact, turning back to the match as she rolls her eyes. 

_“Karasuno honestly attacks from anywhere and everywhere. Let’s take not of libero Nishinoya’s impressive setting at that!”_

The commentators continue chatting as Atsumu nods. “Yeah, he’s good at settin’.” 

Y/N and Osamu blink in surprise as they glance at each other, turning to Atsumu in shock as he tilts his head in confusion. 

“What?” 

“Didja just… compliment his settin’?” Y/N asks slowly. 

“Yeah? What about it?” Atsumu questions. 

“‘Tsumu, usually yer like…” Osamu trails off as he starts having flashbacks. _‘Scrub! Yer a scrub! Stop bein’ a LOSER ya loser! Maybe you should quit while yer behind!’_ “…Less pleasant.” 

“Huh? Whaddya mean?” Atsumu deadpans. 

“…Nevermind.” 

“Ohh Karasuno’s blond kid’s goin’ in!” Y/N exclaims as she starts repeatedly hitting Atsumu’s shoulder and pointing at Tsukishima. “He’s goin’ in!” 

“I can see that! Stop hittin’ me!” Atsumu groans as he tries to swat her hand away. 

“Hmm… Nekoma’s great at defence, but I think they’re a little lackin’ in the offence department. They don’t have much height or power, do they do any complex attacks?” Osamu asks as Y/N shrugs. 

“I don’t know to be honest, I never really paid attention to them since we never really needed to, although I have some of their recordings since there was a chance that we’d verse them.” Y/N says. “From my vague and unreliable knowledge, I don’t think they do complex attacks?” 

“Huh, well that’s a surprise.” Atsumu interrupts as he gestures to the court. “They’re doin’ a synchronised attack.” 

“Really?” Y/N mutters in shock as she watched the Nekoma attackers run up for a first tempo synchronised attack, Tsukishima watching their setter closely as he sets the ball. 

Tsukishima gets a one touch on the ball as Karasuno answers with their own synchronised attack against Nekoma. Kuroo jumps up and blocks the ball as Sawamura spikes. 

_“It’s a block!! And we already see a block point claimed by Nekoma High School!!”_

“Damn, that was good.” Y/N mutters as Atsumu pouts. 

“Hmph, but that was totally a fluke.” He mutters as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“What? Are’ya routing for Karasuno or somethin’?” 

“…No.” 

_“Oh wow, Karasuno went in with five people for their attack! And yet, middle blocker Kuroo-kun totally knew where it would go…! Tsukishima-kun also did a fantastic one-touch earlier with the two-man block!”_

_“Both Nekoma and Karasuno have done plays where several players go in to attack at the same time. However, both sides are also blocking each other out. It’s a tenacious unstoppable-force-meets-immovable-object showdown!!”_

The match continues as Y/N and the twins watch in interest, regularly making comments on the plays and strategies of both teams. Karasuno maintains their small lead as Suna joins them in the audience. 

“Yo, Fukurodani’s match is about to start, and Itachiyama’s match is going to be on the same court a little later.” Suna informs as he sits down. “I’m planning on watching if any of you want to come.” 

“Nah.” Atsumu shrugs. “I wanna watch Karasuno.” 

“Good, I didn’t want to watch with you anyway.” Suna deadpans as he turns to Y/N and Osamu. “How about you two?” 

“Eh, I think I’ll stay and watch Karasuno with ‘Tsumu.” Osamu sighs. “Y/N?” 

“Guess I’ll go with Rintarou then.” She shrugs. “But after this, Karasuno just sent in their pinch server.” 

“Oho? Guess I’ll stay for a bit too then.” Suna chimes as he turns his eyes to the match. “Score seems pretty even at the moment.” 

“Ya, they’re both keepin’ up with each other’s rhythm really well.” Atsumu informs as Suna nods along. “I reckon they’ve played heaps of games together before.” 

“Is that so?” Suna mutters as Yamaguchi tosses the ball into the air and sends his jump floater over. 

The ball floats over to Nekoma’s side as their ace Yamamoto quickly shifts into position to receive, but the ball changes direction just before it hits his arms, bouncing off and out of bounds. 

_FWEET!_

_“Karasuno scores the first service ace of the day!”_

“Ohh that one had really good direction! Nice nice!” Atsumu exclaims, before realising that he’s praising Karasuno. “I mean! Not that I want it to! I can do that too y’know!” 

“We didn’t even say anythin’.” Osamu drones as Nekoma calls their first timeout. 

Once the timeout is over, Yamaguchi takes a deep breath as he sends his second serve over, Kai shifts to this side as he gets it up with an overarm. 

_“Nekoma gets the ball cleanly back up in the air this time!”_

“Nekoma’s defence is really good.” Y/N comments. “The best part is the consistency, kinda like Kita-senpai but not really?” 

“Yeah, I get whatcha mean.” Atsumu nods as he sighs. “That amount of discipline… couldn’t be me.” 

_‘I don’t think Atsumu realises that he’s literally one of the most disciplined players ever.’_ Suna mentally deadpans. _‘Out of the ones I’ve met at least.’_

Kozume positions himself under the ball as Kuroo and Fukunaga run up to spike. The toss goes to Kuroo as Tsukishima instantly lines up and jumps to block him, shutting down his spike. 

Suna visibly brightens up as he blinks in surprise. “…That was a good block.” 

_“A block at a time, just like this!! Truly a momentum-building play!!”_

“Dammit! That was good!” Atsumu groans. “Argh, Karasuno’s on a roll.” 

“You say that like it physically pains you.” Y/N chuckles. “But I agree, seems like they’re not makin’ the early mistakes like they did against us.” 

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi run up to each other as they high five, teammates cheering excitedly before they all return to their positions. 

Sending his third serve over, Yamaguchi grits his teeth as Yaku receives it with an overarm, sending it to Kenma who tosses it to Kai. 

_“This time they broke through Karasuno’s serve! But can Nekoma High School truly stop Karasuno, give that Karasuno has gruadually been building up such momentum with their service-ace-to-block-combination?”_

“Damn, things are getting interesting.” Suna mutters as he grabs his bag and stands up. “Itachiyama’s match already started though, so we missed the beginning.” 

“Oh well, we probably didn’t miss much anyways.” Y/N shrugs as she also grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder, waving at the twins. “We’re gonna go over to Itachiyama’s game, so come over if this match finishes before then, or we’ll come here if Itachiyama finishes first.” 

“Alrighty, later.” Atsumu waves her off as Osamu quietly nods and waves as well. 

Heading over to Fukurodani’s match, Y/N glances over to Suna. 

“What team’s Fukurodani playin’ against?” 

“Uhhhhh…” Suna drones on as Y/N sighs and takes the booklet out, flicking through the brackets to see for herself. 

“Ah, Matsuyama Nishi Shougyou High School. Wow, what a mouthful.” Y/N says as she nods. “Seems like Fukurodani’s winnin’ though.” 

“Huh, not a surprise to be honest. Don’t think I’ve ever even heard of Matsuyama before, probably a no-name team.” Suna shrugs boredly as they find seats. 

“Rintarou, that’s mean.” 

“Did I lie?” 

Y/N chooses not to answer as she sits down and instantly starts to focus on the match, observing each player carefully. 

“Guess I didn’t lie then~” Suna chimes as Y/N sighs. 

“No-name team or not, the fact remains that they’re higher rankin’ this time ‘round. They’re a top 16 team, and what are we?” 

“Wow, forget I said anything. I didn’t expect to be hurt from this conversation.” 

“Are’ya really hurt though?” Y/N deadpans. 

“Nope, but still. You’re ruthless.” 

“So I’ve heard.” Y/N chuckles as they turn back to the match. 

“Who’s winnin’?” 

“Holy moly-!” Y/N flinches as she turns around and glares at Atsumu. “Didja hafta sneak up on us like that?” 

“I didn’t sneak up on ya!” Atsumu huffs as he turns to the match. “Huh, looks like Fukurodani’s gonna take this match in straight sets.” 

“Ya don’t say.” Osamu mutters. 

“LEFT!!” Bokuto calls as Akaashi tosses to him. 

“Bokuto-san!” 

Jumping up, Bokuto smashes the ball down beside the line, winning the match. 

“Nicee!” Y/N says as she claps. “That was great!” 

“Yeah, he seems like he’s in good condition today, he made a lot of really good plays and didn’t slump even once.” Suna comments. “I think they’re versing Mujinazaka in the Quarterfinals, that’ll be a really interesting match.” 

“Yeah~ And Karasuno’s gonna be versin’ Kamomedai if they win their match, that’ll be really cool to watch as well.” Atsumu chimes. “Oh, but Itachiyama’s matches are also really cool. Dammit, I wanna watch all the Quarterfinal matches…!” 

“Doesn’t he want to play in the Quarterfinals instead of watching…?” Suna whispers to Osamu. 

“Don’t say anythin’, he’s gonna sulk.” Osamu whispers back. 

“Anyway, let’s go watch the end of Kamomedai’s match!” Atsumu interrupts as they all sigh. “Let’s go!” 

“Fine fine, let’s watch Itachiyama’s match after though, then we can all go eat lunch.” Y/N says as they agree. 

“Okay!” 

* * *

_“And Itachiyama’s ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi, scores yet again with a razor sharp straight! Earning Itachiyama their 25th point and winning their match against Tamamime High School in straight sets! Itachiyama advances to the Quarterfinals!”_

“Nicee~ Itachiyama’s insane.” Y/N chimes as she stretches in her seat and starts getting up. “The match was pretty good, argh I wanna go eat lunch but Fukurodani’s gonna play Mujinazaka now.” 

“I wanna watch their match…!” Atsumu groans. “But I’m also hungry coz ‘Samu was eatin’ when watchin’ Karasuno and now I want food!” 

“Let’s go get food then.” Osamu pipes up. 

“But I wanna watch Fukurodani and Mujinazaka!” 

“Sounds like that’s your problem.” Suna mutters boredly. “Personally, I don’t really care. Though we did tell Gin that we’d meet him in the food court.” 

“Yeah, we should probs go have lunch.” Y/N agrees. “While I also wanna watch the Fukurodani and Mujinazaka match, we needa eat.” 

“Yeah, and I think Atsumu would prefer to miss this match rather than Karasuno’s.” Suna adds as Atsumu grumbles under his breath. 

“…Fine. Let’s go have lunch.” He mumbles as he begrudgingly tears his eyes away from the court as Bokuto jumps on. 

“Hmm… before we go eat, how about we go congratulate Itachiyama for their win?” Suna suggests as Y/N raises her eyebrow in suspicion. “Me and Y/N, since I don’t think you twins want to say anything.” 

“…Is this another one of yer agendas?” 

“Why? Do you want it to be?” Suna smirks as she rolls her eyes, causing him to laugh. “Relax, I’m kidding. I wanna congratulate my friend too you know.” 

Y/N blinks in surprise as she turns to Suna. “Who?” 

“…You do know that I’m friends with Komori, right?” 

“What??” 

“Oh, guess not. Well, now you know.” Suna smiles lazily as Atsumu squints at him. 

“…Fine, whatever. ‘Samu and I’ll go find Gin and get some seats.” 

“Alrighty~” Suna chimes as he starts ushering Y/N out the room. “Anyway~ Let’s go find them before they get changed and collapse, we don’t want them to pass out before we get the chance to say anything~” 

“I doubt they’re gonna pass out, I’m pretty sure Itachiyama’s great at regulating their health.” Y/N deadpans as Suna shrugs. 

“Anything can happen.” 

Komori chats cheerfully to Sakusa as they make their way over to the baggage storage area to change. Turning around the corner, Suna’s able to spot them quickly as he grabs Y/N’s arm and drags her over. 

“Komori, Sakusa, hey.” Suna greets as they glance over. 

“Suna! Nice to see you again!” Komori grins as he waves. “I take it you saw our match?” 

“Yep, congratulations on winning.” Suna nods. “Nice job winning in straight sets for the third round, impressive.” 

“Haha! Thanks! I’m honestly so glad that our match didn’t go on for a third set, since, you know…” 

“Day 3 Hell.” They say in unison as they nod solemnly. 

“Honestly, I think I’d die if I were ever in yer position.” Y/N sighs tiredly. “Day 3 Hell… more like Everyday Hell, because I think I’d die just _thinking_ about playin’ a match…” 

“You aren’t trained for matches though, so it’s understandable.” Sakusa says. “We’re trained for the tournament, so it’s our responsibility to be able to play both matches and take care of ourselves.” 

“True true~” Komori grins. “Didn’t you play in middle school though, L/N-chan?” 

“Ah, yeah I did. The team never made it to nationals though, so I never needed to worry about Day 3 Hell.” She shrugs in disinterest. “Oh well.” 

“It be like that sometimes.” Suna nods. 

Yawning, Komori nods along as he smiles. “Anyway, we probably need to get changed now, I think I’m going to have a nap to try conserve some energy.” 

“Yeah, that’s understandable.” Suna says. “We’ll probably watch your match in Quarterfinals, so yeah.” 

“I know you guys don’t need it, but good luck.” Y/N smiles as Komori grins. 

“Thanks! See you later!” 

“Take care.” Sakusa nods as they wave them goodbye. Once they’re out of sight, Suna turns to Y/N. 

“Alright, let’s go have lunch with the others.” 

“Yeah yeah, let’s go~” 

“We’re back.” Suna chimes as Ginjima smiles at them. 

“Yo, how were the matches?” Ginjima asks as they set their bags down. 

“They were pretty good~ Where are the twins?” Y/N asks, looking around. 

“Just gettin’ food, they’ll be back soon.” Ginjima chuckles. “They said they watched the Karasuno match while you two watched Fukurodani? Quarterfinals just started right?” 

“Yeah~ Fukurodani’s playin’ against Mujinazaka now. We wanted to watch but oh well~” Y/N shrugs as Atsumu and Osamu return. “Didja get food for me?” 

“Of course.” Osamu says as he places the food down. “I’m not like ‘Tsumu.” 

“That’s a relief.” 

“I’m right here y’know.” Atsumu deadpans. 

“Oh really? I didn’t notice.” Y/N drones sarcastically as they laugh. “So, Quarterfinals just started huh?” 

“Yep, that’s our best eight.” Atsumu nods. “Karasuno, Itachiyama, Fukurodani, Mujinazaka, Kamomedai, and uhh the rest.” 

“Inubushi East, Ichibayashi, and another that I can’t remember.” Y/N shrugs. “Really strong line-up as always though, all the matchups look really interesting.” 

“Yep~ I wanna watch all of them but I can’t!” Atsumu whines as they sigh. “But I’m definitely watchin’ Karasuno’s match though! Gonna watch Tobio-kun and Shouyou-kun!” 

Suna leans over to whisper. “Is he a fanboy?” 

“I think so.” Y/N whispers back. 

“Karasuno’s match and Kamomedai’s match is happenin’ at the same time as Itachiyama and Inubushi East’s match though.” Atsumu continues as he shoves a bunch of food in his mouth. “So are’ya gonna watch Itachiyama again, N/N?” 

“Don’t talk with yer mouth full.” She deadpans, handing him a few serviettes. “The matches are happenin’ side by side anyway, so _technically_ I’ll be watching both.” 

“That means she’s gonna watch Itachiyama.” Osamu cuts in as she rolls her eyes. 

“Yes, I’m gonna watch Itachiyama.” Y/N deadpans. 

Atsumu pouts at this. “Not gonna watch Karasuno?? Even though Tobio-kun’s playin’?? They’re so interesting to watch!” 

“Like I said, even though I’ll be watching Itachiyama, _technically_ I’m watchin’ both, since they’re happenin’ side by side anyway.” 

“C’mon, are’tcha even a _littleee_ interested in watchin’ Karasuno? Just a bit?” Atsumu asks hopefully as she avoids eye contact. 

“…I already made up my mind.” 

“Aww but I thought it’d be fun to watch Karasuno and Kamomedai… Since they’re both really interestin’ teams and it’s not like we haven’t watched Itachiyama heaps already…” Atsumu mutters. “…How ‘bout just watchin’ the beginning of Karasuno’s match?” 

_‘…Is he selling tickets for this match or something??’_ Y/N internally deadpans as she sighs, avoiding eye contact. “…Whatever.” 

“Wait, really?” Atsumu gasps excitedly. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Y/N mumbles. “Guess I can watch the beginning…” 

“Weakling.” Suna deadpans as she scowls at him. 

“And just like that, ‘Tsumu convinced N/N to do something she didn’t wanna do, again.” Osamu narrates as she sighs. “Doesn’t this happen every time?” 

“Shut it.” 

* * *

_“Yes, that’s right. Both teams are powerhouse schools with players that have been chosen as candidates for Japan, namely wing spiker Hoshiumi and setter Kageyama. It is also worth looking out for Hakuba Gao, whose height is over 2 meters tall!”_

“There he is, the tallest player in the tournament.” Y/N comments as she looks at Hakuba. 

“Yeah, but he’s just a scrub.” Atsumu deadpans. “What’s his skill? Bein’ tall?” 

“Atsumu, don’t be rude.” 

“Am I wrong?” 

“…” 

_“What should we look out for in this upcoming match?”_

_“This is one of the top high school level blocking teams, against one of the best high school level offensive teams, so I for one, am looking forward to all the showdowns up at the net.”_

_“What’s more, this is going to be a showdown between the two smallest players in this tournament. Hoshiumi Kourai-kun and Hinata Shouyou-kun. They are both quite the point-getters for their team. Don’t take your eyes off them!”_

“I don’t think anyone can take their eyes off of ‘em.” Atsumu shrugs. “They’re small, but they keep movin’ round at gettin’ up in yer face, know what I mean?” 

“Yes, we were all at the match yesterday.” Y/N deadpans. 

_“We have Karasuno, who have pressed forward with an unstoppable force, and Kamomedai, who have slowly but surely distinguished themselves. I wonder what kind of finale awaits this match!”_

_“Let us begin, the Spring Interhigh Volleyball Men’s Quarterfinal!”_

_“The match begins with Kamomedai’s Captain Suwa serving!”_

Suwa sends over a jump serve as Sawamura shifts over and receives it, getting it up as Kageyama moves over to set. 

Jumping up, Hinata spikes the ball down the centre of the court, surprising Kamomedai’s blockers. 

_“Someone who is 160cm just flashily got past a 2 metre wall!!”_

_“Kageyama-kun is also sharp as ever, isn’t he?”_

_“That quick attack came out like lightning!! And Karasuno takes the lead in the blink of an eye!!”_

“Classic, just goin’ out there and makin’ that their first play.” Atsumu laughs. “Must be fun.” 

“Yeah… And did you see that? Three people when to block his quick attack, even though it was their first time seeing it in person.” Suna comments as he watches Kamomedai in interest. “That’s pretty crazy.” 

“Getting inspired, Suna?” Atsumu teases as he rolls his eyes. 

“Hell no, seeing a few great blockers here and there isn’t going to inspire me, I see them pretty often.” Suna scoffs. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to inspire me.” 

“If ya say so~” 

The match continues as the Inarizaki second years watch together, immersed in the plays of each team as they comment and acknowledge both Karasuno and Kamomedai as Kamomedai takes the first set. 

_“Kamomedai takes the first set. Taking in those high level blocks, it seems that ace Hoshiumi is at the top of his game today.”_

_“It seems like Karasuno hasn’t really been able to find their groove yet, doesn’t it?”_

_“Indeed, there’s been no service aces. I don’t think they’ve reached their true potential this game yet. Whats more, it seems like Karasuno’s colourful arsenal of attack patterns has been readily handled by Kamomedai’s blocks. I hope to see Karasuno stand strong and keep up their offence.”_

“Hmm Kamomedai’s currently dominating the match.” Ginjima comments. “And that 2 metre tall dude… imagine being that tall… getting to jump twice…” 

“Well, height’s always been an advantage in volleyball.” Suna shrugs. “Short guys like us just have to make up for it with technical ability.” 

“…I don’t wanna hear you refer to yerself as short ever again.” 

“My bad~” 

“Hmm, Suna has a point though.” Atsumu says. “Now that Oomimi-san’s not with us anymore, we’re kinda lackin’ in the height department. If we don’t get any tall players next year, they’ll probably refer to us as a short team.” 

“True that.” 

_“Now, will Kamomedai continue to ride their momentum into the second set, or will Karasuno turn things around?”_

“Oh.” Y/N blinks in surprise as they all glance at her. “Both teams, they changed up their placings.” 

“Damn… this match is getting so interesting I lowkey want to stay and watch.” Suna mutters. “But I already planned to see Itachiyama’s match, oh well~” 

“Dammit, he remembered.” Atsumu mutters under his breath. 

“Ah, yeah.” Y/N nods, glancing to the court beside Karasuno’s. “Looks like Itachiyama’s about to win their first set too, should we go over?” 

“Yep sure.” Suna shrugs, collecting his bag as Y/N gets up. 

“I’ll come too, I kinda wanna watch ‘em as well, even though this match is super interesting as well.” Ginjima chuckles sheepishly. “There’s, uhh, some players I wanna watch specifically.” 

The other Inarizaki second years blink in confusion as they glance around at each other. 

“What a coincidence, there’s some players Y/N wants to watch specifically too.” Suna pipes up as Y/N groans, causing Ginjima to laugh. 

“Not like that! It’s just that uhh… Itachiyama’s players are very exceptionally skilled.” Ginjima smiles. “I thought I could learn some stuff from watching them.” 

Atsumu nods slowly as he processes his words. “Alrighty then, we’ll talk about both matches later.” 

“Yep, see ya later.” Ginjima calls as the three of them make their way over to Itachiyama’s side. Glancing at him, Y/N thinks for a moment. 

“Is there somethin’ specific yer lookin’ for, Hitoshi?” Y/N asks as Ginjima pauses in his step, resuming after a split second. 

“…I think, I’m a very solid _average_ player.” Ginjima says. _‘At best…’_ “But Itachiyama’s players are all exceptionally good, none of them are average like me.” 

Ginjima shrugs as they make their way into the audience and find seats. 

“I just thought, it’s about time that I tried to be more than average, y’know?” Ginjima grins. _‘So at least I know I’m not useless, even if I don’t make the line-up.’_

“Makes sense.” Suna mutters as they turn their eyes to Itachiyama and Inubushi East’s match. 

_“Second set, Inubushi East has the starting serve. Here we go, the men’s Quarterfinals, Itachiyama VS Inubushi East!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy :D I love Spring Tournament Quarterfinals haha :D My favourite! :D
> 
> I've been super exhausted lately and I feel like I might drop at any time :'D But I can't because I have so much work to do :'D Hopefully I can push through though because I'm really starting to feel a throbbing in my head and my efficiency is taking a major hit as a result... Oh well :'))
> 
> Anyway! Nationals arc may be ending soon huh? :)) That's a shame~ But I'm very excited for the things that happen after 🤩🤩 Hope you're looking forward to it~
> 
> Also! I mentioned before that I'm currently working on a bunch of Inarizaki arts, so...
> 
> I call this one; images the precede unfortunate events. Just Akagi and Kita taking a nice picture with absolutely nothing to worry about :D
> 
> Speaking of looking forward to things... haha...
> 
> What if I said I have a bunch of fanfics in my drafts... haha... What then...? :) 
> 
> _DISCLAIMER: DON'T TRUST ME BECAUSE THEY MIGHT JUST STAY IN MY DRAFTS FOREVER. DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP (but some of them will definitely be posted, some of them are still in the maybes soooo hopefully the characters you want are the lucky ones :)))_
> 
> Anyway! Thankyou for being patient and reading once again! I look forward to writing the future chapters! Hopefully I'll be fine and alive when that happens 🤩
> 
> ~~~  
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	45. Those Who Have Lost

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 3 – Quarterfinals_

“Inubushi East huh?” Y/N mumbles as she, Suna and Ginjima take their seats. 

“They any good?” Suna asks as the second set commences. 

“Eh, I would assume so?” Y/N shrugs. “Since they made it to Quarterfinals and all. But truthfully, I don’t know, we never had the opportunity to play them so I never really researched.” 

“Hmm… They’re a powerhouse like us, but obviously Itachiyama’s more well-known.” Ginjima says after a while, watching the match carefully. “I’m guessin’ everyone’s expectin’ Itachiyama to win, since they’re the favourites now that we’re out of the running.” 

“True, although I think Karasuno’s quickly becoming a fan favourite.” Y/N chuckles. “Since they have that whole _‘mysterious dark horse’_ vibe, the fans would love it if Karasuno ended up winnin’.” 

“I don’t really care who wins.” Suna deadpans. “I just want to go home.” 

“Damn, not even rooting for Karasuno? It’d look bad for us if they lost badly y’know.” Ginjima chuckles. 

“Well, they’re going to have issues with Kamomedai.” Suna sighs as he glances over to their match. “Karasuno’s great at offence like us, but Kamomedai’s great at both offence _and_ defence, that’s the beauty of blocking, it’s very versatile.” 

Y/N and Ginjima watch Suna carefully as he continues. 

“I’ve faced a number of our nation’s best blockers, I’ve experienced their power first hand. I don’t want to admit it, but Glasses-kun from Karasuno’s a highly skilled blocker as well, although he’s not the best.” Suna mutters. “Even so, the fact remains that _Hirugami_ is the best blocker in the tournament, and Kamomedai’s blocking overall is already exceptional, I know they’d give us a lot of trouble if we ever had the chance to play them. Missed chances I guess, maybe we’ll get the chance to play them next year, that’d be nice.” 

The three students sit in silence for a few moments, before Suna turns to them in confusion. “Why are you two so quiet?” 

Y/N wipes away a non-existent tear as Ginjima places a hand on Suna’s shoulder. “I’m so proud of you.” 

“What?” 

“You generally don’t talk a lot, but here you are talkin’ about volleyball and blocking.” Y/N says as she smiles. “And _praising_ other players too?? Oh my! What a shock!” 

Suna rolls his eyes as he smiles. “Shut up.” 

“Hitoshi! He’s smiling! Take a picture!” 

“Stop it!” Suna laughs as he pushes them away. “You guys are making a scene.” 

“The scene is you, Rintarou~” Y/N chuckles. “But seriously? You wanna play against Kamomedai?” 

Suna pauses for a moment before he averts his eyes. “…I just think it would be interesting.” 

_“Oh my gosh he’s excited to play them.”_ Y/N gasps as Ginjima stares at Suna in shock. 

“Am I hallucinating…?” 

Sighing, Suna rolls his eyes as he turns back to Itachiyama’s match. “You two are overreacting. Is it so strange that I, a middle blocker, want to have a go at versing the best blocking school in the nation?” 

“Yes.” 

“Whatever.” Suna mutters. “Anyway, are we going to focus on Itachiyama’s match or not?” 

“He’s trying to divert our attention.” Y/N whispers to Ginjima as he nods. 

“No I’m not.” Suna deadpans. “We literally came here for the match.” 

“Damn, he’s got a point.” Ginjima whispers as Y/N nods solemnly. “Guess we hafta focus on Itachiyama then.” 

“Yer not off the hook though, Rintarou.” Y/N says as Suna rolls his eyes. 

_“A razor sharp spike from Itachiyama’s second year ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi! Itachiyama maintains their small lead!”_

_“That was a fantastic quick set by setter Iizuna as well, he was able to trick Inubushi East’s blockers with that! But it seems like Inubushi East is quickly adjusting to Itachiyama’s attacks.”_

_“That’s true, Inubushi East is known for being a highly adaptable and unpredictable team, usually opting for obscure and flashy plays! I wonder how Itachiyama will deal with them once their blocking tightens up!”_

“Damn, Inubushi East’s doin’ a great job at keepin’ up with Itachiyama even though they’re a little behind.” Y/N comments as Iizuna rotates for his serve. “As a whole though, I think Itachiyama’s still doin’ better.” 

“No kidding.” Suna deadpans. “With Komori, Sakusa, Iizuna and Nagaoka, Itachiyama’s got one of the most impressive line-ups in the whole tournament.” 

“We’ve got an impressive line-up too y’know, but we still lost.” Ginjima adds. “With you, the twins and Aran.” 

“If we’re talkin’ about impressive line-ups, almost every team’s got ‘em.” Y/N sighs. “Karasuno’s got their amazin’ first years and that super libero, Kamomedai’s got their second years although Hakuba-san is… nevermind. Fukurodani’s got Bokuto-senpai, Akaashi-san and Washio-senpai, the list goes on.” 

“Yeah but still.” Suna shrugs. “Itachiyama’s got a top 3 ace, best libero, and one of the best setters and blockers in the whole tournament. Iizuna-san was probably next in the running for Best Setter after Atsumu.” 

“True true~” 

“Komori!” 

Komori shifts to the side and bumps up the ball, managing to save the powerful serve. 

“Iizuna-san!” 

Running over to position himself, Iizuna sets the ball as Inubushi East’s blockers watch him carefully, instantly lining up with Nagaoka for his Quick Attack as they block him. 

Sakusa dives for the ball as he saves it, managing to follow up as Komori positions himself. 

“Iizuna-san, last!” 

Bumping the ball over to him, Iizuna jumps up and spikes the ball down, earning Itachiyama a point. 

“Go! Go! Tsukasa! Fight! Fight! Tsukasa! Nice kill!!” 

“Alright!” Iizuna cheers as he jumps up and celebrates with his teammates, making Inubushi East take their first timeout. 

“Damn, that was so good…” Ginjima mutters with sparkles in his eyes. “He’s an amazin’ setter _and_ a great spiker… I got a long way to go.” 

“You say that like we haven’t seen something like this before.” Suna deadpans. “I think you forget that we’ve got the crazy twins on our team.” 

“Yeah, but seein’ a match from the audience is different! Plus, I’m still not used to seein’ Atsumu play anyways!” Ginjima groans. 

“That’s true, he’s insane.” 

“You too Suna!” 

“Me??” 

“Personally, I think everyone on the team’s at least a little insane.” Y/N chuckles. “Except for maybe Aran-senpai, but in his case we drive him insane instead.” 

“At least he’s got a break from us now.” Suna chuckles. “Two long years of taking care of us, now he’s free~” 

“The twins will somehow find a way to annoy him still.” Ginjima sighs. 

“I think they somehow find a way to annoy everyone, it’s just their mere existence.” Y/N chuckles as she glances over to Karasuno’s court. “I wonder how Karasuno and Kamomedai’s goin’.” 

“Looks like the tiny Number 10’s just got rotated to the back, score’s pretty even though.” Suna comments. 

Hinata rotates to the back for his serve as he hits it over to Hakuba, forcing him to move forward to receive. Bessho jumps up to spike the ball, but he’s met with Tsukishima and Kageyama’s block as they get a one touch. 

“Chance ball!” 

Hinata bumps the ball up as Kageyama moves to set, Tsukishima instantly running up to spike as the Kamomedai blockers watch him carefully. 

But as Kageyama sets the ball, Hinata jumps up from behind, spiking the ball down before Kamomedai can get a hand on it. 

_“Hinata Shouyou comes flying in from the back right!! From the front or the back, it doesn’t matter to him!”_

_“Wow, Karasuno’s first years sure are dependable! The next two years are going to be interesting, and maybe a bit terrifying.”_

_“Kamomedai wants to ride their momentum, but Karasuno’s first years won’t let them!”_

Atsumu and Osamu watch the match carefully as it progresses, with both Karasuno and Kamomedai scoring points off of each other, and before they know it, Kageyama gets rotated for his serve. 

“Bring it!” 

Tossing the ball into the air, Kageyama jumps up and lightly hits it over, shocking everyone and confusing Hakuba. 

“Huh?” 

_“Unlike every other serve he’s done so far, this time, Kageyama is just aiming to keep it inbounds.”_

Hakuba watches the ball as it comes towards him. _‘Woah, it’s coming to me. But it’s not too strong for me to get.’_

“Got it!” Hakuba calls, before noticing Nozawa in front of him, preparing to receive. _‘But wait, I should just focus on back attacks in-’_

“GAO!” 

Hakuba flinches as the ball bounces right beside him, scoring Karasuno the point. 

_“Somehow Kamomedai was caught looking there! Karasuno turns the tables!”_

_“Kageyama-kun just baited them into getting crossed up there. Most likely, Hakuba-kun was totally focused on attack there, but then he hesitated because it was a serve he could get. By aiming for the very edge of the court, he was able to perfectly lure Hakuba-kun into trying to receive his serve!”_

_“Kageyama Tobio is quite the frightening first year!”_

“…Hmph.” Atsumu mutters. “He’s enjoyin’ himself.” 

“…Huh?” Osamu asks. 

“Tobio-kun. And I was thinkin’ he was a hard-headed, serious little goody-two-shoes.” 

“I don’t know Tobio-kun too well, but he probably wouldn’t wanna hear that comin’ from you.” 

“It’s a different rotation from before and he’s enjoyin’ himself.” Atsumu continues, ignoring Osamu. “They dropped the first set and the second set’s tight, and this is even the second match of the day. And on top of all that, he’s trying new things.” 

Osamu zones out of Atsumu’s rant as he starts thinking about food. 

“What’s with him being so different from the training camp?” Atsumu continues. “Pisses me off.” 

“Tobio looks like he’s doin’ great.” Y/N comments as Kageyama sends over a powerful serve. “He’s scary good, and only a first year.” 

“He’s like Atsumu, but with a different play style and less annoying.” Suna adds. “Although I guess even though they’re both setters with powerful serves, they’re both super different.” 

“Yeah, our whole team dynamic would change if we had him as our setter instead of Atsumu.” Ginjima mutters. “I think Atsumu fits with our team better though, so I got no complaints.” 

“It’s not like we have a choice.” Y/N sighs. “And I’ve got complaints, just not any to do with Atsumu’s play style.” 

“Maybe we should complain about his play style just to see his reaction.” Suna suggest as Y/N and Ginjima choose to remain silent, turning back to Itachiyama’s match as Inubushi East scores a point, evening the score with Itachiyama for the first time this set. 

_“Inubushi East has caught up! Nagaoka was right on their tail, but Kai Ryosei snuck in a Quick Attack before he knew it!”_

_“Itachiyama had the momentum in the first half, but it looks like Inubushi East won’t let them keep their lead! Itachiyama will need to keep firing attacks if they don’t want their momentum to be stolen!”_

Nagaoka takes a deep breath as he rotates to the back line for his serve, tossing the ball into the air as he sends over a jump floater. 

“Alright!” 

Inubushi East’s libero is quick to react as he gets the ball up with an overhand as their setter positions himself to set. 

Watching the ball carefully, Sakusa and Takahashi quickly line up and jump to block the attack. 

“One touch!” 

“Got it!” Komori calls, bumping it up as Iizuna runs over to set, glancing around as both Sakusa and Tabata run up for quick attacks. 

“Sakusa!” 

Instantly lining up with Sakusa, Kai grits his teeth as the ball flings off of his block at an obscure angle. Chasing after the ball, their libero manages to bump it back to the team as he dives. 

“Sorry! Cover!” 

Itachiyama’s blockers watch Inubushi East carefully as they prepare for their attack, instantly lining up with their ace as he jumps to spike. 

_BAM!_

The ball flings off of their outstretched arms and out of bounds. 

_“Score!! Inubushi East has turned the tides! They’ve snatched the lead away from Itachiyama! That was an incredible spike from Inubushi East’s ace, Watanabe! It’s almost as if they were challenging Itachiyama’s Sakusa there, reminding them that they have an ace of their own!”_

_“And Itachiyama doesn’t hesitate to take their first timeout! Trying to physically put a stop to the momentum that Inubushi East has gained, I’m interested to see how this plays out!”_

“It’s anyone’s game now.” Y/N comments. “I can’t really tell who’s gonna take the second set.” 

“Ideally, Itachiyama would win this set and the match, they just needa make sure nothin’ goes wrong.” Ginjima adds as Suna nods. 

“Yeah, that Kai guy, the first year on Inubushi East, he’s pretty good at blocking. The first years this time around are pretty good~” Suna chimes as he glances over to Karasuno’s court. “Looks like it’s Hoshiumi’s serve.” 

“Hm? Yeah, looks like it.” 

Collecting the ball for his serve, Hoshiumi glances over to Karasuno’s side. 

_‘Nothing sweeter than serving at the end of the set after we’ve lost the lead.’_

Tossing the ball into the air, Hoshiumi runs up and smashes the ball over, painting the line as everyone stares in shock. 

_“That was almost exactly on top of the sideline! What a serve! Hoshiumi Kourai manages to pull his team back to tie at 20 points!”_

“Hmph.” Atsumu scowls, not wanting to admit that he’s impressed as Hoshiumi prepares for his second serve, sending it over to Tanaka as he manages to get it up. 

_“He get’s it up, but it’s a little off.”_

“Nice receive.” Kageyama calls as he shifts over to receive the ball, aware of Hinata’s presence as he sprints. 

Jumping up, Hinata makes full use of his weapons as he suddenly jumps up, maximising his speed and height as Kageyama gets taken by surprise from the sound of his jump. 

_‘Gimmie it here.’_

_‘Fine!’_

Kageyama grits his teeth as he accurately tosses the ball to Hinata, Hirugami quickly trying to line up for the block as Hinata hits the ball down. 

Everyone stares in shock after the ball as Hinata lands on the floor, watching the ball bounce away. 

_“Fast! So fast!”_

_“And even higher than normal!”_

_“HINATA SHOUYOU!!!”_

The crowd goes wild as they cheer for Hinata’s spike as he gasps and quickly grasps Kageyama’s hands. 

“THE BALL CAME! DO YOU HAVE THE HANDS OF GOD?!” 

“Quit it.” Kageyama scowls as he snatches his hands away, tilting his head in confusion as Hinata quickly goes over to celebrate with the rest of the team. 

_‘Going to an even higher point and getting there with the quickest possible timing.’_ Atsumu thinks to himself. _‘More specifically, it was the quickest possible timing within the range Tobio-kun could set it.’_

Atsumu sweat drops at his own thoughts. “…Holy sh*t.” 

Osamu glances over to him questioningly. 

“Tobio-kun’s crazy to be able to match him on that.” Atsumu mutters out. “…I could do it too.” 

“On like the third try.” Osamu deadpans. 

“What’s with that honesty?!” 

_“And now, an ace from Azumane! Karasuno’s catching fire!”_

“Damn, things are really getting intense.” Osamu mutters as Atsumu nods. 

“Yeah, I think Karasuno’s gonna take this set.” 

“Seems like it.” 

“Itachiyama’s match looks pretty even at the moment.” Atsumu comments as Osamu glances over. 

“Oh? You’ve been payin’ attention?” 

“…No.” 

“Liar.” 

“Komori!” 

“Sorry! Iizuna-san! Cover!” 

Iizuna grits his teeth as he runs after the ball, it’s a little too close to the net for his liking, but he quickly chases after it as he jumps to set the ball. 

“Nanase!” He calls as he sends a quick set to Nanase who jumps up to spike. 

Inubushi East’s blockers don’t make it in time as Nanase hits it over. 

But in that moment, Iizuna lands on his opponent’s foot as he twists his ankle and falls to the floor, Nanase turning in shock as he instantly goes over to help him. 

_“Oh? What’s this? An accident??”_

“Iizuna??” 

Sakusa watches in quiet surprise as Iizuna stumbles as he tries to stand, gritting his teeth as he grips onto Nanase for support, Tabata and Nagaoka instantly coming over to help him. 

“Iizuna?? Are you okay??” 

Iizuna winces as he shakes his head, letting himself get supported by Tabata and Nagaoka as they carry him to the bench. 

_“It seems like Itachiyama’s Captain Iizuna is injured, and Itachiyama doesn’t hesitate to call their second timeout.”_

_“This is terrible timing, with the momentum all on Inubushi East’s side and now this… Itachiyama will need to scramble and quickly get back on their feet.”_

Komori blinks in shock as he tries to process everything. “Is… Iizuna-san…?” 

“…He probably landed on someone’s foot and twisted his ankle.” Sakusa mutters as Komori winces. “We’ll need to substitute him out.” 

“Damn…” Komori mutters as they rush over to the bench for their second timeout. 

“Iizuna, are you okay?” Itachiyama’s coach asks as their managers quickly take out some ice packs. 

“…I could be better.” Iizuna mutters as Nagaoka helps him lift his leg into the bench. 

“That’s for sure.” Nagaoka sighs as he lets out a dry chuckle. _‘Dammit…’_

“It’s going to be okay.” Tabata says as they look at him. “Really, Itachiyama’s players… are all strong.” 

The team nods quietly as their reserve setter starts warming up to enter the court in Iizuna’s place. 

“It’ll be okay, Iizuna.” Nagaoka says quietly as he places a hand on his shoulder. “Trust us, we’re not going to let an accident stop us.” 

Iizuna nods quietly as he keeps his head down, blankly staring at his ankle as his teammates leave him and re-enter the court. The timing’s just too bad. 

Gritting his teeth, Iizuna pinches his eyes shut as he tries to keep his mind clear, focused on the match that he can’t return to. 

_‘I’m not going to cry.’_ Iizuna mentally tells himself as he takes a few deeps breaths, slowly opening his eyes as he looks over to his teammates. _‘I don’t have a reason to cry, not yet.’_

Y/N winces from up in the stands as she peeks through her fingers. “Damn…” 

“Of all the things that could go wrong…” Ginjima mutters as he winces. “…He must be feeling terrible.” 

“No kidding…” Suna mutters. “They’re losing the second set, and they lose their setter and captain. Things aren’t looking good for them…” 

“…They’re probably gonna drop the second set.” Y/N says after a while as she sighs. “Maybe they can pick themselves back up again in the third set… Hopefully…” 

“I sure hope so…” Ginjima mutters as he looks at Iizuna. _‘I can’t imagine how mentally damaging this feels… If they lose this match… He’ll probably blame himself for it, over and over.’_

Y/N clasps her hands together as she takes a few deep breaths. 

She just needs to think that everything will be okay, then maybe… 

If you wish hard enough, everything _will_ be okay. 

* * *

_“Alright! The third day of the Spring High’s most difficult doubleheader! However, the winner advances to the Semi-finals to play on Centre Court!”_

_“It’s the fateful final set between Karasuno High School and Kamomedai High School! We begin with Karasuno’s big server Kageyama!”_

_FWEET!_

Tossing the ball into the air, Kageyama runs up and smashes the ball over, but Hoshiumi gets it up. 

_“It’s a bit wild, but he manages to get the raging serve back into the air!”_

“Gao!” 

_“A back attack by Hakuba! However it hits Karasuno’s block! Tanaka keeps it going!”_

Karasuno runs up for a syncronised attack as Kamomedai’s blockers watch them carefully, quickly running up and stuffing Sawamura’s spike. 

_“Despite being put on the backfoot by the serve, Kamomedai still manages to unload with their forte; the block!”_

“The hell?” Atsumu questions aloud. “The more they get disrupted, they just end up powering up because they were pushed into a corner? So they’re just _always_ really strong?” 

“What are you talking about ‘just’?” 

The twins instantly flinch as they recognise the voice. 

“I like them, Kamomedai.” Kita says as he walks up behind them, making the twins sweat as they quickly turn around to face him. 

“I-Is it time to gather up?” Atsumu stutters out. 

“No, you still have time.” Kita says as he turns his eyes to the court. “…But y’know, guys like you two can end up wreakin’ havoc with those kind of diligent guys.” 

Kita stands in between the twins as they nervously glance at him and try to avoid eye contact with him as they turn their eyes back to the match, watching as Kamomedai gets a one touch. 

“Ohh, those are some really dangerous blockers.” Kita comments as Osamu glances at him. 

“Yeah, they’re craaaazy persistent.” Atsumu mutters out before quickly shutting up, hyperaware of Kita’s presence as he gulps. 

_‘There’s just somethin’ about Kamomedai that rubs me the wrong way, and it’s only partly because of Hoshiumi and Hirugami.’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he sweats. _‘It’s more cuz the whole dang team reminds me of Kita-san!’_

The match progresses as both teams score points off of each other, until Hinata rotates into the front for Tsukishima’s serve, quickly blending in with the rest of the team as to not draw attention to himself. 

“Shouyou-kun’s acting too well-behaved, makin’ me sick.” Atsumu mutters. 

“You’re not well-behaved at all.” Kita deadpans. 

“I mean, against Kamomedai, isn’t it way more effective to not jump out all by yourself?” Osamu asks. “For how much of a wild animal he is, he’s really thinking it through.” 

“…That’s why he’s makin’ me sick.” Atsumu mutters as he scowls. 

“They’re gettin’ worn out.” Y/N states matter-of-factly as they carefully watch Itachiyama. 

“Who? Itachiyama or Inubushi East?” Suna asks. 

“Both, but I was more referrin’ to the team we’re rooting for.” 

“Which one are we rooting for?” 

“Suna, I’m tired.” Ginjima sighs as he runs a hand down his face. “I haven’t even played a single match today, but Day 3 Hell is getting to me…” 

“I think it’s just the stress from the matches…” Y/N sighs as she stretches. “It probably would’ve been better to just stay back at the hotel and wait for Atsumu and Osamu to come back with the results…” 

“Oh well.” Suna shrugs nonchalantly. “We’re here so we may as well just watch everything till the end.” 

“…Yeah.” Y/N sighs. 

_‘Here comes the fast one.’_

Hinata runs up as Kamomedai’s blockers watch him carefully, anticipating his every move as he jumps right in front of them, getting them to jump as well. 

“Crap.” Hirugami mutters as Kageyama tosses to Tanaka, who spikes the ball down with no blockers from Kamomedai. 

_“How rare for Kamomedai’s blockers to be completely shaken off!”_

Hinata laughs happily as Hoshiumi grits his teeth. 

“They’re totally in Kamomedai’s heads!” Atsumu laughs. 

“You’re sure happy.” Osamu mutters as Kita chuckles on the side. 

“Man, Tobio-kun is so lucky!” Atsumu exclaims in excitement. “Using Shouyou-kun like that to make their blockers dance to his tune, he’s gotta be having a blast!” 

Hinata rotates to the back line for his serve as Tsukishima enters the court. 

Smiling to himself, Hinata tosses the ball into the air as he aims his serve, getting a net in as Hakuba grunts and dives for the ball, barely managing to get it up as it goes over the net. 

Jumping up, Kageyama attempts to dump the ball on the synchronised attack, but Kamomedai’s blockers manage to block him as the ball falls down. 

The ball hits Sawamura’s foot as he quickly kicks it over the net as Atsumu laughs in delight. 

_‘Thinking of him as simply another defence specialist is a mistake.’_ Kita thinks to himself as he smiles. _‘He’s a wing spiker first and foremost, no two ways about it. He just happens to be good at defence too.’_

Kamomedai’s libero manages to save the ball as Tsukishima pants tiredly and jumps up to block. 

“One touch!” He calls turning around. _‘Someone, be there!’_

Hinata jumps up and bumps the ball up with one hand as Tsukishima pants tiredly and runs up and jumps right up in the middle, making Kamomedai’s blockers quickly bunch up for a read block as he spikes it over, only for Hoshiumi to dig it up. 

“Gao!” 

Hakuba runs up to spike as he hits the ball over Karasuno’s block. 

But Hinata receives the ball as everyone cheers in delight, jumping up high as Kageyama glances at him and sets the ball. 

Hinata spikes the ball through Kamomedai’s block and scores the point as he gasps in delight. 

_“KARASUNO! BREAKS! KAMOMEDAI!!”_

_“Such a fast back attack! Hinata Shouyou finishes it off on a ball that he received himself!! Karasuno managed to finish off that intense rally and came from behind to take the lead!”_

_“Wow! From Kamomedai’s tenacious blockers to Karasuno’s acute attention towards attacking and Tsukishima-kun’s daring attack down the middle, and then those two little wild guy’s receives…! Everyone on the court was getting into it that point!”_

_“Kamomedai’s early point definitely felt in reach and yet insurmountable, but Karasuno has somehow managed to turn it around! Can they continue riding the wave like this?!”_

“Oi oi oi! Nice receive!” Tanaka cheers as he goes over to help Hinata up. 

“Thanks!” Hinata smiles as he reaches for his hand, only to slip as he falls to the floor, surprising everyone as they rush over to see if he’s okay. 

Hinata pants heavily as he trembles on the floor, quickly trying to get up as he slips and falls again. “Huh? What?” 

_“…Oh? What’s this? Was there some kind of accident?”_

“He… probably has a fever.” 

_“It doesn’t seem to be an injury… but Karasuno is taking a timeout here.”_

“…No way.” Atsumu mutters in shock as he shakes his head. “No way…” 

“A fever…?” Osamu breathes out in surprise as Kita watches the scene unfold. 

“It appears so.” 

“No way…” Atsumu repeats. “There’s no way… Not Shouyou-kun…” 

“I don’t think anyone saw this coming…” Osamu mutters as they watch Karasuno’s coach speak to Hinata sitting him on the bench as they substitute him out for their other middle blocker. 

“I’m sorry…” Hinata mutters as everyone quickly turns to him, watching as he pinches his eyes shut and starts to cry. 

“I’m sorry…!” 

Yamaguchi grimaces as he holds Hinata up and supports his body, not knowing what to say. 

“Getting so excited you caught a fever?! What are you, a baby?!” Tanaka laughs loudly. 

“He’s always been a toddler, Tanaka.” Tsukishima smirks. “And I’m sure the endurance monster will heal up with just a night’s sleep.” 

“DON’T WORRY! JUST LEAVE IT TO ME AND KAZUHITO!” Nishinoya declares. 

“I dunno if it will be fine, but I’m not nearly as nervous as the prefectural championship.” Narita chuckles. 

“Do your… umm… leave it to… ngh…” Kinoshita stutters out as Ennoshita looks at him in sympathy. 

_‘Not sure what to say, huh?’_

“It’ll be hard without you. There’s no denying that.” Sawamura says as Hinata faces him. “Hinata, we need you, so, just eat some food and rest up!” 

“Guess you get first dibs on the ginger fried pork!” Sugawara chuckles. 

“Keep yourself warm.” Azumane encourages as Kageyama finally approaches him. 

“…‘I’ll be the one to stand on the court the longest’.” Kageyama quotes as Hinata looks up at him. 

“I win, this time too.” 

Staring at him, Hinata quickly wipes his tears away as he stares at him seriously, accepting his declaration as he turns away and Yamaguchi leads him off the court to Yachi. 

“HINATA SHOUYOU!” Hoshiumi shouts as Hinata turns around in shock. 

“I’LL BE WAITING FOR YOU!” 

Hinata pauses in his step for a moment, before fully facing Hoshiumi and bowing. 

“…It took us, the kitty-cats, and the seagulls, to finally take that monster out.” Atsumu mutters as Hinata leaves the court. 

_“Trouble as we reach the end of the match…! Karasuno’s first year point-getter is pulled from the court…!”_

“Didja see that…?” Y/N questions as Ginjima and Suna nods. 

“Yeah… what happened…?” 

“He collapsed…” Y/N mutters. 

“He sick or something…?” Suna asks. 

“Must be…” 

“Damn, everyone’s just getting more and more beat up.” Suna mutters as they turn back to Itachiyama’s match. With Iizuna out of commission, it took a while for Itachiyama to fully adjust, but they were able to still hold their ground against Inubushi East as the third set nears it’s end. 

Sakusa tosses the ball back and forth between his hands as he takes a deep breath, preparing for his serve. 

_FWEET!_

Tossing the ball into the air, Sakusa runs up for his serve as Inubushi East braces themselves. 

_BAM!_

“Damn… he’s still firing amazin’ serves even after everything…” Y/N mutters out in awe as Inubushi East’s libero barely manages to save the ball, but it goes over the net. 

“Komori!” 

“Got it!” Komori calls as he runs up to set on the first touch, taking everyone by surprise as they try to position themselves. 

“Sakusa!” 

Komori tosses to Sakusa as he runs up to spike, smashing it into Inubushi East’s block as they manage to get a hand on it. 

“One touch!” 

“Hnng-!” 

Keeping the ball in play, Inubushi’s attackers run up for a double quick as Nagaoka grits his teeth and tries to analyse everything, the exhaustion from the long day of matches starting to weigh down on him. 

“Left!” 

Nagaoka and Nanase quickly run over to block Inubushi East’s ace as he spikes the ball into their block, but it’s a waterfall ball as it falls down to their court. 

_Itachiyama [27 – 28] Inubushi East_

“Yikes.” Suna mutters as Y/N and Ginjima wince and clasps their hands together, taking deep breathes as they silently hope that Itachiyama finds a way to turn it around. 

“Kai! Nice serve!” 

Inubushi East’s middle blocker Kai sends over a powerful spike serve towards Sakusa as he quickly positions himself to receive and bumps the ball up. 

“Alright!” Saito, Itachiyama’s reserve setter calls, as he tosses the ball. “Tabata-san!” 

_BAM!_

“Hnng-!” Inubushi East’s setter grunts as he jumps to the side and receives the spike head on, rolling over from the momentum. “Cover!” 

Inubushi East’s ace jumps up and spikes the ball as Nagaoka and Nanase instantly line up to block him, gritting their teeth. 

Watanabe’s spike gets caught in their block as he watches the ball fall down. 

Their setter instantly dives for the ball as he reaches and barely manages to get it up, trying to keep it in play as he grits his teeth and watches it fall towards the end line. 

Running after the ball, Inubushi East’s libero reaches for it as he stretches his fingertips closer and closer, managing to bump it up slightly as another teammate dives over and sends it back over to Itachiyama’s side. 

“Komori!” 

“Hnng-!” Komori grunts as he dives for the ball, managing to get it up for Saito as he prepares to set. 

Up in the audience, Y/N grips her hands together as she watches with wide eyes. 

“SAKUSA!” Saito yells, tossing to him as Sakusa jumps up to spike. 

_BAM!_

Inubushi East’s blockers block his spike as the ball falls down onto Itachiyama’s court. 

In a last, desperate attempt, Komori chases after the ball as he dives. 

But he doesn’t make it in time. 

Everyone holds their breath as they watch in silence, staring in disbelief. 

_Itachiyama [27 – 29] Inubushi East_

From the bench, Iizuna lets out a shaky breath as he finally allows his tears to fall. 

“If you’re gonna say that results are everything… Then I guess that means all the third years here who lose are, well… nothin’. Right?” Kita asks as the twins flinch. 

“And me, I’m not playin’ volleyball no more after high school. So…” Kita turns to them with dead eyes. “Am I gonna evaporate, then? Vanish into thin air? Like ‘poof!’?” 

“Um!” Atsumu stutters out as he sweats profusely under Kita’s eyes. “I-I didn’t uhh… didn’t mean it… that way… really…” He trails off meekly as Osamu avoids eye contact. 

“If you’re here just to compete… then I guess there’s nothin’ wrong with saying results are everything.” Kita continues as they continue sweating. “And maybe playin’ a _good game_ is ultimately meaningless if you don’t win.” 

“But y’know? Sweepin’ the floors… catchin’ a stray ball… doin’ a billion squats… then eatin’ a good, solid, fillin’ meal afterwards. That’s how we grow and build our bodies.” Kita says as he turns away. 

“Even if I didn’t get the win, I did build a whole lotta muscle.” Kita chuckles cheerfully as the twins watch him walk away. “The world can throw anything it wants at me now, I ain’t afraid.” 

“…I’m pretty sure we’re still gonna be scared of him in the future.” Osamu mutters after a while as Atsumu nods solemnly, before realising something. 

“Wait… has Itachiyama’s game ended?” 

“Was Karasuno’s Number 10 injured?” 

“He had a fever.” 

“Really? What a pity…” 

“Say for instance… A tiny meterorite fell from the sky right now.” Sakusa begins as everyone flinches. 

“Say that meteorite bonked somebody on the head. Just be nice to the guy and help as much as you can. Nothing else is necessary. If you're going to stand around talking loudly to each other about how you pity him... Then I feel even sorrier for him. Nothing sucks worse than someone telling you, ‘You poor thing.’” Sakusa says as he moves on ahead. 

Nagaoka and Tabata silently support Iizuna as they carry him off the court, letting him cry his eyes out as they leave. 

“Itachiyama lost! They lost!” 

“That means all of the Top 3 aces in the country are out of the tournament…!” 

“Oh goodness, Itachiyama lost? What a pity for Sakusa…” 

Turning to face the scoreboard, Sakusa stands with Komori as he accepts his defeat. “This, even though we practised everything like we were supposed to.” 

Komori glances at him tiredly from the corner of his eye, not saying anything as they turn around and trail after their third years, not knowing what to say. 

“Sakusa…” Iizuna begins as they all flinch. 

“Yes.” 

“I know what you’re thinking.” Iizuna mutters as he turns around, face a mess as he continues crying. “I bet right now you’re like, ‘It’s always possible to be injured in any game. What are you crying for?’ Right?!” 

Sakusa doesn’t answer as Komori blinks in surprise. 

_‘Wow, he’s pretty sharp.’_

“I can understand having regrets if you didn’t practise enough or prepare properly beforehand.” Sakusa says simply. “But I know neither was the case with you, Iizuna-san. So I had to wonder.” 

“RIGHT! NEITHER WAS THE CASE! AND THAT’S WHY IT HURTS EVEN MORE!! DUH!!” Iizuna yells as Tabata flinches in shock. 

“Iizuna, what’s wrong?!” Nagaoka asks worriedly as Sakusa stares at him dumbly. 

“…Oh.” 

Sakusa takes a moment to process Iizuna’s words as he thinks to himself. 

_“But I also think, regardless of circumstances or results, anyone can feel frustrated and upset, even if there isn’t a reason to. People can’t help how they feel afterall.”_

“…I get it.” Sakusa mutters after a while as they blink in surprise. “But I don’t want to pity you or say, ‘it sucks to be you.’” 

Itachiyama’s third years gasps in surprise at Sakusa’s understanding. 

“But it does suck to be me right now.” Iizuna says as Sakusa blinks in surprise. 

“Oh.” 

“Still, I’m happy that you were thinking of me!” Iizuna exclaims. 

“I wasn’t, not particularly.” 

“Well, okay then!” Iizuna doesn’t even bother to try stop himself from crying as he starts tearing up again. 

“It isn’t today, but one day I’ll play my last game… and you better believe I’m gonna finish that one with a smile!” 

Komori presses his lips together as he starts to tear up as well, restraining himself while Sakusa takes the time to ponder on his words. 

_‘Only those who face the challenge have the right to receive the guidance afforded by a match and to attain the invaluable experience it entails.’_

_‘Today, you are the defeated.’_

_‘What will you become tomorrow?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ・∇・)
> 
> Hello my lovely readers :) How are we feeling? :)
> 
> Personally, I am extremely exhausted as I have been working non-stop for the past week =w= I finally submitted an assignment a few hours ago so I'm halfway through this wave of assignments~ I hope I can rest up so I can get through the rest so I can finally have time for my other work :'D
> 
> Now! I have, of course, drawn more Inarizaki art =w=
> 
> Do you recall... the second years winning a fox plushie at an arcade not too long ago...? :) 
> 
> Anyway! What did you guys think about the chapter? :) Extremely joyous am I right? :D
> 
> I'm very excited to continue after this point because I have so much planned for the future~ this is where cannon ends and... I take full control of our fate... :) Don't worry :) I won't hurt you :) You can trust me :) 
> 
> Anyway~ I have many fics in my drafts that I _really_ want to post but I can't work on them until I finish my assignments, so look out for them when I finally do post them eventually! OuO I will not say anything but I hope you like them if you do decide to read =w=
> 
> Thankyou for the patience and all the support! It really means a lot to me! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	46. Solace

_“It isn’t today, but one day I’ll play my last game… and you better believe I’m gonna finish that one with a smile!”_

Sakusa trudges down the hallway alone, lost in thought as he thinks over Iizuna’s words, thinking about his _ideal last game_. What would be _his_ ideal ending? 

Perhaps… going out with a smile, ending on a victory. Would either be necessary? Would having both be his _ideal_? 

All good things come to an end. There are many things in your life that you can control, but there are equally as many things you can’t control. As long as you do everything to the best of your abilities, then you’ll be satisfied no matter what, you’ll be able to live without regrets, right? 

But Iizuna… 

Iizuna did his best, he did everything he could. However, there was an accident, and everything came to an abrupt and unsatisfying end. Sometimes you’re just… unlucky. 

Luck is an interesting concept. You get far in life because you work hard, but also because you’re lucky. There are people who are simply born lucky, and excel ahead of their peers. Sakusa subconsciously rubs his wrists as he thinks back to his last Interhigh. 

_“Wakatoshi-kun, how did you get so good?”_

_“…Because I got lucky.”_

Luck. Anyone could see it, and Sakusa knows it’s true. Sakusa is one of the lucky ones. But surely, there will be a time when that luck runs out? Where his fate will boil down to preparation and circumstance? 

What is the future that _Sakusa_ is dreaming for? 

“Hey.” 

Sakusa turns around at the sound of the voice, blinking in surprise as he straightens up and nods. 

“Hey.” He responds, turning around fully to face her as she approaches him. 

Y/N fiddles with her fingers as she contemplates her words, glancing up at him as he watches her silently. After a moment, she sighs slightly as she smiles. “Your team played well.” 

Sakusa takes a few seconds to process her words as he nods again. “Of course.” 

Y/N shifts slightly as she tries to think about what to say next. What is there even to say in this situation? How did he do such a good job at making _her_ feel better when she was in this situation? 

“I’m not upset, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Sakusa says as she snaps out of her thoughts. “There’s no reason for you to worry, I was just… unlucky this time.” 

“Yeah…” Y/N mutters. “Are’ya sure yer alright though…? You seemed deep in thought earlier.” 

“Ah, I was.” Sakusa confirms as he frowns. “After the match, Iizuna-san said something and it got me thinking about my ideal last game… What would you consider to be ideal?” 

“Me?” Y/N questions, tilting her head in surprise as Sakusa nods in confirmation. “Well… I was never really passionate or deeply invested in volleyball, so I can say for certain that I personally do not care much for victories or losses… I just think, as long as you do well and yer happy, then it’s fine.” 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah, I know that for someone like Atsumu though, who lives and breathes volleyball, I’m sure that his ideal would be to end on an amazing win at the world stage or somethin’. I know he dreams about it now.” Y/N smiles before faltering a little. _‘…I’m sure he dreams of a win, with Osamu by his side…’_

“…I think that would be nice too.” Sakusa mumbles. “Although, I don’t find it particularly necessary.” 

“I don’t either.” Y/N chuckles. “Maybe I just found solace in accepting that sometimes things don’t go your way.” 

“Yeah… How about you though?” 

“Hm?” 

“I don’t mean volleyball. I want to know how you wish your future to be.” Sakusa says as she blinks in surprise. “If you want to tell me, that is.” 

Y/N pauses slightly as she looks down and thinks. “I’m… not entirely sure.” She breathes out. “Everyone dreams of happiness, I suppose it’s the ultimate goal. We want to be happy with our circumstances, and achieve everything we wish for. Although, I suppose I don’t need fireworks and celebrations to get to where I want to be.” 

Y/N smiles softly. “I guess… I just wanna take each day as they come, and do my best, maintaining the things important to me so I don’t have any regrets later on, y’know? Perhaps I do dream big, but I don’t need them. I think… I just wanna be able to feel _happy_ , even without them.” 

Sakusa mulls over her words as he thinks over the events that unfolded through the day. From his first match to his last, from Iizuna’s injury to Hinata’s collapse. Many of the players here have their sights set on that final victory, to be the champions of the Spring Tournament. But what does he truly want? 

He wants to take care, do things properly and carefully, to the best of his abilities. So that even if he doesn’t make it to the grand finale he dreams of, even if his ending comes partway through his journey, even if his dreams get cut short… 

No matter where or how it ends, he wants to be satisfied with everything, and to be able to smile and think; he really did his best, and he’s satisfied. 

Sakusa doesn’t need victory. He just needs to do things right. 

“How about you, Sakusa?” Y/N asks quietly after a moment as he glances at her. “D’ya know what you want?” 

Sakusa gazes over her for a few moments as he nods ever so slightly. “I think I do… I think I know now.” 

Y/N smiles softly at him as she nods. “That’s good.” 

Sakusa fiddles with his fingers before glancing at her again. “L/N-” 

“N/N, we needa go, Coach is gettin’ everyone on the bus.” Osamu interrupts as they both glance at him. 

“Ah, alright.” Y/N nods. “Umm, I guess I’ll see’ya later, Sakusa.” 

“…Yeah.” 

Y/N smiles sheepishly as she waves and walks over to Osamu who raises his eyebrow in confusion. 

“…Am I interruptin’ something?” 

“Uhh…” Y/N trails off as she follows after Osamu. “Well…” 

“Wait.” 

Y/N flinches in shock as Sakusa tugs the sleeve of her jacket, turning around as she looks up at him, eyes wide open from surprise. 

“Thank you.” Sakusa says simply as Y/N blinks in confusion, brain short-circuiting as she tries to understand what’s happening. 

“Ah- ye- um… uh?” Y/N stutters out as Osamu glances back and forth at the two of them, eyes wide open in shock. 

After a few moments of her floundering, Sakusa smiles. 

“I’ll see you later.” 

Letting go of her jacket, Sakusa nods once more, smile still gracing his lips as he turns away, leaving the two Inarizaki students frozen in confusion. 

After a while, Y/N and Osamu turn to each other as they try to process what just happened. 

“Is- I… what?” Osamu mutters out as Y/N turns back to look down the hallway where Sakusa was earlier. 

“I have no idea…” 

* * *

On the bus back, Y/N’s lucky enough to have been left alone, blankly staring out the window as she watches the Tokyo streets flash by. There’s only two days left of the Spring Tournament, Semi-finals and Finals, and then she’s back in Hyogo for the rest of her second year… 

For the rest of their time together… 

Shaking her head, Y/N sighs to herself as she relaxes into her seat, there’s no need to think about such things. All good things come to an end, and she’s not going to miss them that much. 

Listening to Atsumu’s soft snores, Y/N glances to the side and slaps her hand over her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing. 

Suna holds a black marker in his hand as he leans over his seat and draws on Atsumu’s face, Osamu snickering beside him as Ojiro panics. 

“Suna stop that!” Ojiro whisper yells as Suna shrugs. 

“Why? Atsumu hasn’t asked me to stop yet.” 

“That’s coz he’s sleepin’!” 

“Is he? Sounds like that’s his problem, not mine.” 

“Suna…!” Ojiro whispers as he stares at the back of Kita’s head in fear. 

“Relax~ What’s the worst that can happen?” 

“What’s goin’ on here?” 

Suna promptly shuts up as he swivels back into his seat and pretends to sleep, even letting out fake snores to try and convince everyone. Facepalming, Ojiro sighs as he avoids eye contact with Kita, not wanting to be involved. 

Kita looks over to Atsumu’s sleeping face and all the markings drawn by Suna as he blinks in surprise. 

“Didja draw on Atsumu’s face, Suna?” Kita asks as Suna continues to fake snore. 

“…It was Osamu.” Suna mumbles out between snores as Osamu gasps in offence, flinching when Kita suddenly turns to him. 

“…It was Gin.” Osamu mutters as Kita turns to Ginjima, who’s sleeping beside Suna. 

Glancing at Atsumu’s marked face again, Kita sighs as he chuckles and turns around. “Don’t get too carried away.” 

Suna instantly ‘wakes up’ as he gasps in delight, before Kita instantly whips around and stares at him with dead eyes. 

“Don’t go over the top.” 

Sweat dropping, Suna nods stiffly as Kita turns away, sighing in relief as he puts his marker away and takes out his phone, posing with Osamu as they take pictures with Atsumu. Eventually caving, Ojiro also starts posing from behind as they take pictures together, choosing to immortalise this moment as Y/N sighs in exasperation and turns away, smiling. 

She’s totally not going to miss them, when their time together comes to an end. 

* * *

“Whatcha doin’?” Kagawa asks as looks over to Y/N who’s currently engrossed on her laptop. 

“I’m designing my website now, since I got some time I thought I should go right ahead.” Y/N responds, not taking her eyes off the screen as Kagawa gasps. 

“Ohh that’s so cool! Is it going to be yer online store?” 

“Yeah, and also a portfolio of sorts for my artworks.” Y/N smiles, turning to look at Kagawa. “Y’know, there’s a bunch of things I wanna do with my art in the future… So even though I’m super inexperienced now, I thought, why not just keep goin’ ahead anyways? Doesn’t hurt to charge forward~” 

“…Depends on what kind of chargin’ forward yer doin’.” Kagawa chuckles as Y/N rolls her eyes and smiles. 

“Yes yes I know.” 

The two second year managers fall into silence as they get back to doing their own thing, not wanting to bother the other as they remain silent. It’s not that they don’t like each other, far from it. It’s just that sometimes, even if you spend a lot of time with someone, there’s still a distance. 

Y/N and Kagawa aren’t close. 

Getting hungry, Y/N quietly leaves her room as she ventures out on a journey to find some food. Walking past the second year boy’s room, Y/N finds herself slowing down slightly as she hears their conversation through the door. 

“It’ll work, trust me!” Suna exclaims. 

“No! I’m not gonna catfish people by pretendin’ to be ‘Samu!” 

_‘Nope.’_ Y/N mentally deadpans as she speeds past the room, Suna might use his weird Y/N-senses and drag her into their conversation. 

Making her way to the kitchen, Y/N sighs in contempt as she opens the fridge, peering around to find something convenient to eat. Hearing some rustling behind her, Y/N turns around to find Osamu munching on some convenience store onigiri. Making eye contact with her, Osamu shrugs. 

“I got hungry.” 

“Ah.” 

“Yer not surprised?” 

“I mean AH!” Y/N gasps in fake shock as she dramatically slaps her forehead. “I was so shocked I wasn’t able to give an immediate reaction!” 

“I was gonna offer an onigiri but… now I’m startin’ to change my mind.” Osamu deadpans as Y/N instantly reverts back to her neutral state. 

“Forgive me, I was possessed by a ghost since my body is too weak and unable to fight back due to malnourishment.” Y/N says solemnly as Osamu rolls his eyes and hands her two onigiris. 

“Sure, yer welcome.” 

“Thanks.” Y/N chuckles as she goes over to sit with him. 

“So, Sakusa.” Osamu begins as Y/N pauses slightly, before she resumes eating. 

“What about him?” Y/N asks as Osamu shrugs. 

“That’s what I wanna know.” 

“Why are’ya actin’ like Rintarou?” Y/N asks. 

“I’m not, I’m just curious.” Osamu deadpans. “I already bribed you with food, is that not enough?” 

“Nah.” 

“Too bad, now spill.” 

Y/N sighs tiredly. “There’s nothin’ to spill, we’re just friends.” 

“Mmm I love friendship.” Osamu murmurs sarcastically. 

“I’m serious.” Y/N deadpans. “We’re really just friends.” 

“I see…” Osamu trails off. “I kinda get why Suna’s so invested in this now, I’m also waiting for drama to happen.” 

“Well sorry to disappoint, but nothin’s probably gonna happen.” 

“Probably? You used to be certain.” 

“Shut it.” 

“Mmm friendship.” 

“Shut up!” Y/N laughs as Osamu chuckles. 

“What were you two talkin’ about before I got there? Sorry I interrupted by the way, but we kinda did needa go.” 

“Nah s’fine.” Y/N waves him off half-heartedly. “I’m lowkey now really sure what we were talkin’ about to be honest… Just about the future and what we wanna do, y’know? What’s gonna make us happy.” 

Osamu nods slightly as he unwraps another onigiri. “What makes us happy, huh?” 

“Yeah…” Y/N trails off, watching him carefully. “…Yer gonna needa say somethin’ to Atsumu soon.” 

“I know.” 

“D’ya know when yer gonna?” 

“Some time soon.” Osamu shrugs. “It’s really not that big of a deal, not to me anyway. He’s gonna just hafta deal with it.” 

“That’s true… s’not like he can stop you.” 

“Yeah, I just thought it’d be a weird time to bring it up now, since he’s still on a volleyball high coz of the Spring Tournament.” Osamu shrugs. “I want him to at least be able to enjoy the tournament in full before dropping the bomb on him.” 

Y/N smiles slightly at this. “Aww, yer bein’ caring~” 

“Ew no.” 

“Ew yes.” Y/N chuckles. “I’m sure it’ll be fine~ Atsumu’s immature but he’ll accept it eventually.” 

“I know.” Osamu sighs. “I think you should be more worried about yerself though.” 

“Huh? Why?” 

Osamu smirks at this. “Coz if ‘Tsumu can’t come whinin’ to me, he’s gonna go whinin’ to you.” 

Y/N stops in her movements as she turns to him with dead eyes. “So I was thinkin’ about transferrin’ schools-” 

“Haha! Ya can’t run away from us that easily.” Osamu laughs. “Not that you want to anyway.” 

“You guys really test my patience sometimes.” Y/N chuckles. “But I guess I gotta put up with it, I must sacrifice myself for the greater good~” 

“Oh? That’s where you are, Osamu.” Suna says as he enters the room. “And Y/N I guess.” 

“I love how I’m the afterthought.” Y/N deadpans. 

“I wasn’t looking for you.” Suna shrugs in disinterest as he makes his way over and sits down. “What’s going on? We talking about our _feelings_?” 

“No.” Y/N and Osamu deadpan in unison. 

“Well then let’s talk about our feelings! For me, I’m feeling like an annoyance is going to come any ti-” 

“So this is where you are!” Atsumu groans as he enters the room. “Me and Gin were lookin’ everywhere for ya!” 

“This is literally the first place we checked.” Ginjima sighs tiredly. 

“So the annoyance has arrived.” Suna whispers as Y/N and Osamu chuckle. 

“What are’ya all doin’ here anyways?” Atsumu asks as he sits down. 

“Just eatin’ and talkin’.” Y/N shrugs. 

“Yer eatin’ and talkin’ and didn’t invite me??” Atsumu huffs. “Talk about rude!” 

“As if we want you here.” Osamu deadpans. “Invitin’ yerself when yer clearly not wanted? Talk about rude!” 

“I have been here for five seconds.” Ginjima mutters under his breath as he sits down and slumps in his seat, holding his head in his hands. “This is why people become alcoholics…” 

“Wait, this wasn’t even a weird conversation. Why’s he already given up?” Atsumu asks as he points at Ginjima. 

“I think this is just his pent-up suffering that’s now taken a toll on his body.” Suna answers as they all observe Ginjima carefully. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening, Gin’s used to suffering so his mind automatically assumes that he’s suffering, regardless of the circumstances.” 

“Am I your science experiment??” Ginjima groans as Atsumu opens his mouth to speak, only for Y/N to elbow him in the side. 

“Of course not Hitoshi, we love you and we’re glad yer here.” Y/N answers like a robot as Ginjima sighs. 

“I’m gonna pretend that that was sincere so that I feel better.” 

“It was sincere! I’m always sincere!” 

“Don’t pile lies upon yer lies.” Ginjima deadpans as Y/N pouts. 

“I see the trust is strong…” 

“The trust _is_ strong!” Atsumu chimes helpfully. “We trust that yer not a nice person, so we know!” 

“Excuse me, I don’t wanna hear that I’m not a nice person. Not from the person with the personality of sewage water.” Y/N deadpans. “If Hitoshi said I’m not a nice person, I will graciously accept his words. But you? I’m insulted.” 

“She’s insulted. Apologise.” Osamu repeats as he and Y/N cross their arms and stare at Atsumu. 

“Wait, are you guys twins??” 

“Wish she was, the one I got is broken.” Osamu deadpans. 

“Oi!” 

“I miss my phone.” 

“Shut up Suna, yer holdin’ yer phone.” Atsumu groans as Suna sighs solemnly. 

“I know, but I still miss it.” 

“How does that work?” 

“You five are bein’ too loud!” Coach Kurosu groans as he stomps into the room with Coach Oomi. “Why are’ya all here anyway?? Can’tcha all gossip in yer room??” 

“Why would we do that coach?” Suna asks innocently. “If we gossiped in our room then you wouldn’t have come to gossip with us.” 

Coach Kurosu stops in his tracks as he tilts his head to the side in confusion. “I didn’t come here to gossip with you.” 

Suna sighs dramatically as he takes out his phone and starts voice recording himself. “Dear diary, today I was rejected from the person I trusted the most...” 

“You might not wanna let yer mother hear that recording, she might get disappointed.” Coach Kurosu deadpans as Suna shrugs. 

“Disappointing my mum? Nothing new.” 

“Ouch.” 

“Yikes.” 

“Same.” 

“…My mum’s proud of me.” Ginjima mumbles sheepishly as he bashfully scratches his head. “I uhh… I hope yer mums are proud of ya too!” 

_‘…That’s kinda pure.’_ Everyone thinks to themselves as they metaphorically clutch their hearts. 

“That’s nice of ya, Gin.” Coach Kurosu smiles before dropping his expression and turning to the rest of the group. “Now… get back to yer rooms!” 

“But whyyyy!!!” 

“One… two…” 

“Oh sh*t.” Suna mumbles as they all instantly get up and run back to their rooms, not wanting Coach Kurosu to count to three. 

Sighing to himself, Coach Kurosu fixes up their chairs as he rubs his head. 

“That’s the future of Inarizaki.” Coach Oomi deadpans. 

“I don’t need the reminder, Tarou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...So, perhaps I am in love with Sakusa :) haha... perhaps... _*head in hands*_
> 
> So haha... How we feeling? :))
> 
> This chapter's a little shorter than my recent ones~ Although it's about the same length as my earlier chapters =w= I realised I was subconsciously pushing myself to make longer and longer chapters, so this one's a bit of a breather for me =w= Hope you still like it though! :D 
> 
> I have officially gotten through my wave of assignments! 🤩🤩 I finally have freedom to do all my other work and to enjoy... HAIKYUU SEASON 4 2ND-COUR!! 🤩🤩🤩 I AM VERY HYPED ALTHOUGH I HAVE FEARS 🤩 BUT I WILL IGNORE THE FEARS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST
> 
> Anyway! I drew some more Inarizaki art OuO
> 
> This is probably my most favourite one so far XD So I hope you like it! :D
> 
> Also, while I was writing this, I accidentally wrote "Hotoshi" instead of "Hitoshi" but I was like "nono, Hotoshi is right too" so if you see me calling Ginjima "Hotoshi", it was on purpose. I love my man Ginjima Hotoshi 🤩 XD
> 
> Another thing omg, I'm lowkey upset that the anime robbed Ginjima of his silver hair?? Like bro, the "Gin" in his name literally means silver. He's a SILVER FOX! WHY DID THEY ROB HIM OF HIS SILVER HAIR I-
> 
> I am fine 💖
> 
> Anyway! Thankyou for reading! :D I got some exciting upcoming stuff, so I hope you look forward to them! OuO Take care~
> 
> ~~~  
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	47. Our Spring Comes To An End

_「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」_  
_Day 5 – Finals_

“Who’s winnin’?” Y/N asks as she swiftly takes a seat beside Osamu. 

“They’re even now, Ichibayashi just won the fourth set.” Atsumu answers, not taking his eyes off the court as the long rally continues. “They’re all lookin’ super worn out though.” 

“Tell me about it, five full sets? I’m tried just thinkin’ about it.” Y/N sighs. 

“Anyone you’re rootin’ for?” Osamu asks, glancing at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the court. 

“Fukurodani obviously.” 

_FWEET!_

The crowd goes wild at the final point of the match, signifying the end of the Spring Tournament. Y/N sighs in acceptance as she and the rest of the team clap for the great game. 

“It’s crazy ta think that we were in that position a few months ago.” Atsumu comments. “Feels like ages ago to be honest.” 

“Yeah…” Suna mutters as he sighs, looking at the top two teams in the tournament. “Could’ve been us.” 

“Would’ve been us.” 

“Should’ve been us.” Atsumu deadpans. “Oh well~ We just needa destroy everyone next year~” 

“Yeah, that sounds easy enough.” Y/N mutters sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she turns her attention back to Fukurodani, the runners up. 

“Sorry…! That one was on me!” Konoha apologises as he pinches his eyes shut and bows, sweat dripping from his face. “My set was bad… way too short!” 

“The fact that you could even set the ball at all was really darn amazing.” Bokuto says, turning away as he glares at the air. “That was my fault. I had to score off of that one. Spiking every ball with full confidence is one of the rules of being a normal ace!” 

Akaashi pants heavily as he slowly starts to cry, unable to tear his eyes off of his senpai’s who’ve taken care of him for these past two years. They’ve reached the end of their roads, and he’ll just have to keep going until he reaches his, without them. 

Shakily, Akaashi keeps quiet as the Fukurodani third years talk and reminisce about their time together, making promises for when they part ways. And as they gather to line up and thank their supporters, he accepts that that was the last time he’ll ever get to play with this team. 

* * *

On the fourth day of the Spring Tournament, the Semi-finals commenced as both matches were played on the centre court. Fukurodani Academy against Inubushi East High, and Kamomedai High School against Ichibayashi High School. 

After winning the first set, Fukurodani managed to scrape by with a victory on the third set against Inubushi East, successfully defeating the team that had defeated The Long-time Champions Itachiyama the day prior. This was the first time Fukurodani made it to finals in the Spring Tournament. 

In the next match, Kamomedai dropped their first set against Ichibayashi but managed to take the second set back. Unfortunately, they were unable to claim victory as they lost their third and final set after a long deuce with Ichibayashi, who moved onto the finals. 

And now, with the final rankings of each team, it is time for the Spring Tournament to come to an end. 

“Why can’t they just reserve seats for each team so we don’t hafta run??” Kagawa groans as she, Y/N and Inoue quickly follow behind, dodging the passer-by’s as they smile sheepishly. 

“Because each team is gonna be standing in the stadium.” Y/N deadpans as they finally find a place with a good enough view. “Besides, they only really care about the players and coaches anyways. Tournament really said manager lives don’t matter.” 

“We live in a cruel world…” 

“At least yer aware.” 

“Is the ceremony for the Spring Tournament any different from Interhigh’s?” Inoue asks as Y/N glances at her. 

“Slightly. The closing ceremony is lil’ different.” Y/N shrugs. “They congratulate the victors first, like Interhigh, and then awards are given to the best 6 players, the best libero, the overall best player and the best coach.” 

“Ohh I see!” Inoue gasps as Kagawa laughs. 

“Yep~ and they have a different theme song every year~” 

“Wait, shh! It’s startin’!” Y/N shushes them as they pay attention to the teams as they enter the stadium. 

_“Thank you for waiting. We will now begin the closing ceremonies for the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as the Spring Tournament.”_

_“The championship flags are now entering, and the 47 representative schools from across Japan are now entering as well.”_

Watching as each school gets announced, it feels surreal as the tournament comes to a close. Y/N tries to concentrate and pay attention, but she can’t help but feel a little restless. She’s waiting for her team to be called afterall. 

_“Hyogo Prefecture’s representative, boys, Inarizaki High School.”_

The Inarizaki team follows Kita as they enter the stadium, who’s holding the Hyogo sign high as he leads them. Y/N can’t help but take in a deep breath as she slowly exhales. 

It’s bittersweet, watching as Kita leads his team for the last time, standing proudly as he holds the Hyogo sign, representing their school and prefecture. 

Is it painful? Does it hurt? Maybe it does. 

But seeing Kita’s faint smile as he stands with their team, makes her feel like things are okay. Things are fine. 

_“And now, I present this award to the victors, Boy’s Division. Shizuoka Prefecture Representative, Ichibayashi High School. Concluding the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as the Spring Tournament, your team has emerged victorious. I present you this award in acknowledgement of your commendable performance.”_

The host hands the certificate over to Ichibayashi’s captain as the closing ceremony officially begins. 

And just like that, their Spring Tournament comes to an end. 

* * *

The bus back to Hyogo is unusually quiet, probably because the excitement of the Spring Tournament has finally drained as the Inarizaki team sits in comfortable silence, occupied by their own thoughts. The odd calmness is welcome of course, because there’s no telling how long it’ll last. 

Y/N looks through her sketchbook as she analyses every page, taking note of her improvement over time as well as various style changes. It’s always refreshing to look through old drawings and sketches, discovering and reminiscing the past and the efforts you’d put in previously, even if you cannot completely remember. 

“Is that me?” Suna asks, pointing to an incredibly messy sketch as Y/N shrugs. 

“Could be, it’s ugly enough.” 

“Wow, I’m hurt.” 

“Okay then.” 

“I think I’m going to cry.” 

“Go ahead.” 

“Hey Atsumu, show me your face.” Suna calls as he taps Atsumu’s shoulder. “I think it’ll be enough to make me cry.” 

“What??” 

“Oh, it’s noisy now.” Ginjima deadpans as he facepalms, there’s no telling how long silence will last with the Inarizaki team. 

“I don’t know if I should find this funny or offensive.” Osamu mutters. “But ‘Tsumu suffering is all I want, so I guess it’s funny.” 

“Your Anti-Atsumu dedication is admirable.” Suna nods solemnly as Y/N remembers something. 

“Oh yeah, speaking about Anti-Atsumu…” Y/N takes out her phone and shoves it into Suna’s face. “Rintarou.” 

“Yeah?” 

“I noticed a few days ago that the official Inarizaki Volleyball Club’s Twitter had a new follower.” 

“Okay? What’s that got to do with me?” Suna asks boredly. 

“And I have suspicions on who I think the person is.” 

“So?” 

Sighing, Y/N does her best to remain calm as she glares at Suna. “Tell me, who would name themselves _‘@antimiyabros’_??” 

“Ohh a hater?” Suna asks excitedly. 

“Yes, a hater! And the hater is you!” Y/N accuses as Atsumu gasps dramatically in the background. 

“Whoa, no need for the accusations.” Suna puts his hands up in mock surrender as he looks around the bus in disinterest. “How did you come to that conclusion anyway?” 

“Rintarou, the first tweet literally says, _‘I hate Miya Osamu’s twin and Miya Osamu’s twin’s twin Osamu.’_ ” 

“Genius right?” Suna chuckles. 

“Wait why wasn’t my name mentioned??” Atsumu asks. 

“Censorship.” Suna deadpans as Osamu snorts. “Don’t want to scare the kiddies, trying to reach a wider audience.” 

“Rude!” 

“Relax, I mention your name on my Atsumu hate accounts.” Suna shrugs as he smirks lazily. “It’s just this one~” 

“…I don’t know how to feel about this.” Atsumu mumbles as he holds his hands together and stares at his feet, reflecting on his life. “Maybe I should start a Suna hate account…” 

“You’ll be dead within a week.” Osamu deadpans. “You wanna mess with Suna’s stans?” 

Atsumu vigorously shakes his head. “Nope.” 

“Exactly.” 

Sighing, Y/N facepalms as she groans. “Rintarou, delete your account.” 

“What? Why??” 

“Delete it!” 

“Which one?” Suna asks innocently as he smiles. 

“All of them!” Y/N groans. “You could get in serious trouble with the school for this!” 

“So, you want me to delete my stan accounts too?” 

Y/N pauses as she blinks in surprise. “What?” 

“I have an Atsumu incorrect quotes account.” Suna shrugs boredly as he slouches in his seat. “Although the secret is that they’re not incorrect because they’re actual things Atsumu says. My followers think I’m amazing for perceiving him so well, while others think I’m making him seem too dumb. Jokes on them, Atsumu really is that dumb.” 

“…I’m askin’ this as a friend and not a manager…” Y/N mumbles as Suna perks up. “…What’s the account name?” 

“Oho? You want to know?” Suna smirks. 

“Maybe. But you still needa delete yer hate accounts.” Y/N deadpans as Suna sighs sadly. “I don’t want you gettin’ in trouble with the school for cyber bullying.” 

“I think my account is quite friendly if I say so myself~” Suna hums. “What is friendship if you’re not constantly roasting each other?” 

“Didja just admit that Atsumu’s yer friend?” 

“…I’ll delete the accounts.” 

* * *

Finally getting back to Hyogo after the intense Spring Tournament is a breath of fresh air as Y/N is able to ‘enjoy’ a few days off before going back to school for her last term as a second year. 

There wasn’t much of a welcome back of course, there never is, but Y/N’s patience was really tested when her parents called the week she spent at Spring Tournament a _waste_. 

A _waste_ they said, because of their early elimination. Because they didn’t make it past the second round. Because they didn’t meet their expectations. 

Because they _lost_. 

But to Y/N, that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was that she knew they didn’t _care_. They didn’t care what the club did, they didn’t care about the team or the sport. They didn’t care at all. 

They only cared because the club that had such an impressive reputation, suddenly dropped from the tournament in a surprise upset, in front of everyone. 

The parents who stop their daughter from doing anything they don’t deem as valuable, only allowed her to join because of the high status of the club, Y/N has always known this, it was part of the reason why she joined afterall. 

She just hopes that even because of this, they won’t make her leave the club. 

But as Y/N approaches her third and final year of high school… 

She doesn’t think her chances are great. 

“…That sounds awful.” 

“Tell me about it…” Y/N sighs tiredly as she stares at the ceiling. “They’ve always been like this though, I should’ve been prepared for this reaction but I guess I was too distracted with Spring Tournament to notice.” 

“Yeah…” Sakusa trails off as he pauses for a moment. “Don’t listen to them, and please… don’t leave the club.” 

Y/N smiles slightly as she sighs. “I wasn’t plannin’ to.” 

* * *

Y/N analyses the ongoing match carefully as the sounds of squeaking shoes echo throughout the gym, blending with the yells of the players. With Kagawa next to her writing notes and Inoue managing the scoreboard, Y/N lets her eyes dart between all twelve players on the court as a point gets scored. 

“Nice kill!” Atsumu cheers as Riseki shyly scratches the back of his head. 

“Thanks!” 

“Argh! I’ll get it next time!” Kyoku groans as he ruffles his hair. “Dammit!” 

“Don’t mind.” Suna mutters. 

“Yeah, we’re all here to keep practisin’ anyways.” Kosaku chuckles, patting him on the back. “It’s gonna take a while for us to reach the same level as the third years anyway. Ya can’t expect to fill in Akagi’s spot _that_ quickly.” 

“I know but still!” Kyoku groans. 

“It’s alright, Kyoku.” Ginjima encourages as he grins. “It’s tough bein’ on the bench for a full year before suddenly gettin’ put on the court, but we just gotta work hard and do our best for the team. We need to prove why we earned the spot.” 

“G-Ginjima-san!” The first years gasp in awe. 

Y/N chuckles from the sideline as she shakes her head. “They’re adaptin’ pretty quickly.” 

“Of course, all of Inarizaki’s members are strong.” Coach Kurosu says proudly. “We’ll hafta keep playin’ around with rotations and combos to really get a feel of all the members on the court though.” 

“Yeah~ we got time though~” Kagawa laughs. “Though I admit, it’s a lil’ weird to be practsin’ without the third years. Usually Kita-san would be puttin’ someone into their place right now, or Ojiro-san would be havin’ another breakdown.” 

“At least they’re free now.” Y/N chuckles. 

“Technically they’re still club members until they graduate.” Coach Kurosu pipes up. “So they’re not _really_ free. They’ve just don’t needa come to practise if they’re busy or they don’t wanna.” 

“Wait, that means they can just walk out the room whenever Atsumu does somethin’ stupid. Dammit, wish I had those privileges.” Y/N sighs as Coach Kurosu rolls his eyes. 

“Yer free to walk out right now if ya want.” 

“Nah~” 

“I will never understand you.” 

“Nice serve!” 

Riseki spins the ball in his hands as he takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, trying to calm his nerves. Once he’s ready, he tosses the ball into the air as he runs up and smashes a spike serve over. 

“Hnng-!” Kyoku grunts as he shifts to the side to try bump it up, barely getting it up. “Soz! Cover!” 

“Alright!” Otsuka calls as he positions himself under the ball, sweating nervously as he quickly analyses the players on the court. “Osamu!” 

Otsuka tosses to Osamu as he runs up to spike, before wincing and facepalming internally as Osamu gets blocked. 

“Lame~” Atsumu jeers as he sticks his tongue out at Osamu, mocking him as Osamu rolls his eyes and turns to Otsuka. 

“That set was a little short, we’ll need to practise a bit more to sync up.” 

“Right!” 

“Otsuka~ there’s nothin’ easier to predict than the sets of a nervous setter.” Atsumu chimes as he walks over to the net. “Ya needa stop worryin’ about everythin’ and just toss to who you think is right. Whatcha so nervous ‘bout anyways?” 

_‘What am I nervous about?? I’m literally goin’ head to head with the best high school setter!’_ Otsuka internally screams as he smiles externally. “Soz! I’ll try calm down!” 

“Alrighty, be sure to rely on yer spikers, ‘kay?” Atsumu says as he turns away. “Our spikers are plenty strong, and ya got two of the best point getters on the team.” 

“R-Right!” Otsuka nods vigorously as Atsumu goes back to his position. 

“Atsumu giving advice? Am I hallucinating?” Suna asks as Otsuka flinches. 

“Ah- Suna-san! Soz about that one! I probs should have tossed to you instead of Osamu there!” 

“Huh? Nah it’s fine.” Suna waves him off. “Like Atsumu said, it’s easy to predict sets when the setter’s too nervous or paranoid, so Gin and Atsumu would have been able to read it if you sent it to me anyway.” 

“Ah… okay…” 

“But send it anyway.” 

“Huh?” 

Suna smirks cheekily. “I’m going to enjoy spiking around Atsumu’s and Gin’s block… it’ll be even better if they line up perfectly… Being unable to block a spike you predicted? Hehe…” 

Otsuka frowns in concern as he slowly backs away, not wanting to be infected by whatever Suna was snickering about. 

“Suna, stop laughin’ like a maniac, it’s Riseki’s serve.” Osamu deadpans. 

“Whatever~” 

Tossing the ball into the air, Riseki sends over another powerful spike serve as Kyoku dives for it, but isn’t able to get it up. 

“Dammit!” Kyoku groans as Riseki laughs. 

“Haha! Ya still needa get better if ya wanna get my serves!” Riseki cheers as Kyoku begrudgingly gets up. 

“Riseki sure is gettin’ more confident.” 

Everyone glances to the side at the sound of the voice, gasping in delight to see Ojiro in the doorway. 

“It’s Aran-kun!” Atsumu and Osamu cheer as the rest of the team greets him. 

“Not just Aran!” Akagi grins as he pops out from behind him, Oomimi and Kita following the two of them in. “Thought we’d pay a visit to our precious kouhai’s and maybe do some practise with ya~” 

“That’s what those three are here for at least, I lowkey thought the gym might have burned down by now.” Ojiro sighs. “Doesn’t seem like anythin’s wrong though… but that’s the scariest part…” 

“Relax, Aran. They are simply here to play volleyball, there will be no burning.” Kita says as Ojiro sweat drops. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, however the four of us agreed that it would be nice to pay a visit and practise.” 

“Yer not intrudin’~ Yer always welcome here.” Coach Kurosu grins. “You four can get changed and warm up, we’re gonna continue this match then we’ll do some drills later.” 

“Alright!” 

Y/N smiles absentmindedly as she packs her bag up, the boys having already packed away the equipment as they slowly disperse after being dismissed. Zipping up her bag, Y/N quickly locks up the gym as she turns to Akagi who’s waiting for her at the doorway. 

“Ready to go?” Akagi asks as Y/N nods. 

“Yep, everything’s packed up.” Y/N confirms as Akagi smiles and stretches. 

“Ahh~ Playin’ volleyball again with everyone else is so fun~” Akagi sighs happily as he and Y/N start walking. “I’m gonna miss this~” 

“Yeah… I’ll miss you guys too…” Y/N says quietly as Akagi glances at her. After a moment, he jumps in front of her, making her halt in her steps as she tilts her head. “What?” 

“Let’s walk home today! Instead of takin’ the bus!” 

“No.” 

“Wow, that was a quick rejection.” Akagi chuckles. “Why not?” 

“Walkin’ is tiring.” Y/N deadpans. “You really think I would choose physical activities over sitting down?” 

“It’ll be good for you!” 

“No.” 

“Oh c’mon! We’re not gonna have many more opportunities to go home together anyways, why not just try walkin’?” Akagi asks as Y/N pauses. 

“…No.” 

“You hesitated, I’m changing yer mind~” 

Weighing out the pros and cons, Y/N sighs tiredly as she nods. “Whatever… I’m gonna be dead tired, but what’s life without a little bit of death?” 

“Yer words concern me but I won’t question.” Akagi chuckles as he and Y/N head towards their homes. “But y’know, when I’m gone and ya don’t have anyone to walk home with, you should try walkin’ alone sometimes! It’s really nice!” 

“For some reason, I doubt that.” Y/N deadpans. “I don’t think you understand how much I dislike physical work of any kind.” 

“Oh don’t be like that~ Yer managing a sports club.” 

“To live is to suffer.” 

“Oi stop that.” Akagi laughs as Y/N rolls her eyes and smiles. “But seriously, walkin’ alone is nice. There’s this indescribable feeling when yer walkin’ alone~” 

“You mean, paranoia?’ 

“Y’know what? I think I’ll just stop tryna convince ya.” 

“A wise decision.” 

“…On second thought-” 

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of their year is fast approaching... I am having many feels :) 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ =w= Quite a few things happened over a period of time OuO What did you think? :D
> 
> Anyway! If you follow my instagram or twitter, you'd know that I actually bought the Inarizaki jacket a while ago :D So... here's some pics of me wearing it I guess... O3O
> 
> Random pics =3=
> 
> When Suna and the twins are being stupid again =_=
> 
> I'm not photogenic but alas there is nothing I can do =w= But yes this is my face and what I look like XD I'm going to post more pics on my instagram and twitter so you can go there if you want to see~ OuO
> 
> That being said, the next few chapters have been heavily mapped out and I hope you look forward to them :) And... between now and the next chapter, I will have uploaded another fic :) Just a oneshot don't worry :) I hope you like it if you decide to read! 
> 
> ~~~  
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	48. Love

_“The thing is Atsumu, when it comes to the love of the game… that flame burns a bit brighter in you than in me, y’know?”_

“Nice serve!” 

Riseki spins the ball in his hands as he concentrates, tossing it into the air as he sends over a powerful serve. In an instant, Kyoku shifts over and barely manages to get it up. 

“Hnng-!” Kyoku grunts as the ball bounces away, sighing as Riseki cheers. 

“Yuss!” 

“Dammit Riseki! Yer gettin’ so good at serving it’s starting to piss me off!” Kyoku groans as Riseki laughs. 

“Well, you’re receives are also improving heaps, Kyoku-kun.” Kagawa smiles as she shows them her notebook. “Both of you have been improving heaps these past few weeks, I’m super impressed!” 

“Thanks!” 

“I kinda wanna improve more though…” Riseki mumbles as he thinks to himself. “But I don’t know who I should ask to help me…” 

“Why not Atsumu-kun?” Kagawa asks as Riseki and Kyoku instantly start vigorously shaking their heads. 

“Nope, nope.” 

“Aww c’mon, why not?” 

“…He’s scary.” Riseki whispers as the three of them discreetly glance at Atsumu who’s doing serving drills on the other court. 

“Yeah, and askin’ him for help will just boost his ego…” Kyoku mutters as he sighs. “I kinda wish Akagi-san stopped by the club more… I wanna learn from him!” 

“I can help ya with that.” Ginjima interrupts as the three of them glance at him. “Sure I’m not as great a receiver as Akagi, but I think I’m pretty stable in terms of receives.” 

“G-Ginjima-san!” Kyoku gasps as his eyes start sparkling. 

“As for you Riseki, if ya don’t wanna ask Atsumu, why not ask Osamu? His serves are really good too.” Ginjima says as Riseki perks up slightly, but hesitates. Sensing his hesitation, Ginjima chuckles as he pats him on the shoulder. “How ‘bout I ask Osamu for ya?” 

“G-Ginjima-san!” 

Shaking her head, Kagawa walks over to the other court that Y/N is overlooking, nudging her and gesturing to Ginjima and the first years. “I think all the first years are in love with Gin.” 

“Well yeah, who else would they be in love with? Atsumu?” Y/N mutters sarcastically as Atsumu instantly turns around and glares at her. 

“I KNOW YER TRASH TALKIN’ ME!” 

“‘Kay.” 

“DON’T IGNORE ME!” 

The Inarizaki team sweat drops at this as they sigh. Just another ordinary day. 

* * *

Atsumu huffs in frustration as he repeatedly bangs his head on the table while Suna sits beside him scrolling through his phone in a bored manner. Now that they’re in their final term as second years, they have to take their studies seriously for their final exams. 

The studying process would be much easier if they weren’t so reluctant to do their homework. The only person actually doing their work properly in Ginjima, who for saw this situation and brought noise cancelation headphones while Y/N finds her patience slowly starting to drain as Atsumu continues banging his head on the table. Just before she’s about to tell him off, Osamu kicks him under the table. 

“Geh-! ‘Samu!” Atsumu groans as he flops in his seat. 

“What.” Osamu deadpans as Atsumu rolls his eyes and glares at him. 

“You kicked me.” 

“Did I?” 

“Yes!” 

“I didn’t see anything.” Suna pipes up, not taking his eyes off his phone as Atsumu turns and glares at him. 

“Not you too Suna!” 

“I didn’t see anythin’ either.” Y/N says as Atsumu faceplants into the table. 

“Not you too…!” 

Rolling her eyes, Y/N kicks Atsumu under the table as he jumps, groaning as he glares at her while she smiles innocently in response. “Shouldn’t you be, y’know, doin’ yer homework?” 

“But whyyy…!” Atsumu whines as they all roll their eyes at his childishness. “I just wanna play volleyball after I graduate! I don’t needa study for that!” 

“You need to study so you can pass and get out of school.” Y/N deadpans as she sighs. “I can’t wait to graduate so I can finally wipe my high school memories.” 

“We don’t need things like memories.” Suna mutters wistfully as they ignore him. 

“Exactly! You don’t wanna study either!” Atsumu exclaims. “Why do we hafta pass our exams anyway? You don’t even needa study for the things you wanna do later, I don’t needa study, ‘Samu doesn’t needa study-” 

“Wait, why don’t we needa study?” Osamu asks as they all glance at him. 

“Uhh, coz we don’t need good grades for volleyball?” Atsumu explains, a little confused. “As long as we get scouted then it’s all good.” 

Osamu pauses for a bit as he internally sighs. “…What makes you think I wanna keep playing volleyball with you?” 

“Huh?? What’s that s’pose to mean??” 

Y/N avoids eye contact as she puts her head down and goes back to blankly staring at her textbook. 

Osamu still hasn’t told him. 

“Hey, Osamu.” Suna calls as he quickly walks over, Osamu turns around and nods. 

“Yeah?” 

“What are you planning on doing after high school?” Suna asks, straight to the point as Osamu blinks in surprise. 

“Why are’ya askin’?” 

Suna shrugs. “I don’t know, it just kind of feels like you and Atsumu aren’t on the same page.” 

“…I’m quittin’ volleyball after I graduate.” 

“Oh.” Suna mutters simply as Osamu tilts his head in confusion. 

“Wait, that’s it? I thought you’d be more surprised.” 

“Yeah, I thought so too.” Suna mutters as he shrugs. “I think I’m more surprised at the fact that I’m actually not that surprised.” 

“Huh, am I that predictable?” Osamu asks as he sighs. “Well, what d’ya think I wanna do after I graduate?” 

“I don’t know, disappear under mysterious circumstances then magically appear with loads of cash?” 

“I think that’s the life you want, Suna.” Osamu deadpans as Suna smiles cheekily. “But no, I wanna do somethin’ to do with food and food service, like own a restaurant.” 

“Ohhh, friend discount?” Suna asks as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“What if I never actually get the restaurant, Suna?” 

“Then just disappear under mysterious circumstances.” Suna shrugs boredly as Osamu facepalms. 

“You do that first then tell me how it goes.” 

“Alright~” Suna chimes as he pauses for a moment. “…So Atsumu the Dumb doesn’t know yet.” 

“No, Atsumu the Dumb has no idea.” Osamu mumbles as Suna nods solemnly and pats his shoulder. 

“Tell me how it goes.” 

“…I think you’ll see how it goes.” 

* * *

“…” 

Atsumu and Osamu glare at the air in front of them as they refuse to face each other, sitting on the ground as they angrily ignore each other’s presence. Filing his fingernails, Atsumu uncharacteristically remains silent as Suna and Ginjima notice their anger. 

“Huh? Okay, what’s set the twins off this time?” Suna asks. 

“Apparently it’s official now, Osamu’s done with volleyball after high school.” Ginjima mutters as they both watch them carefully. 

“Ahhh… _that_.” Suna mutters. 

“I made up my mind a long time ago.” Osamu starts as Atsumu finally turns around and glances at him. “I told myself that I was gonna get a job dealin’ with food and food service. _And that was that_.” 

“Who says the one who sticks with volleyball is the more successful on by default, huh?” Osamu asks, slowly raising his voice as his glare becomes more intense. “I didn’t pick this career outta some kind of compromise, or coz I didn’t think I could make it.” 

Atsumu doesn’t say a word as Osamu’s emotions finally get the best of him, grabbing the collar of his jacket as his arms tremble in pent up rage. 

“If you’re so dang confident…” Osamu seethes. “So dang _sure_ you’ll be the happier one, then come back when we’re 80-year-old geezers! Wait until then to laugh in my face and say you were happier!” 

Atsumu’s glare hardens at Osamu’s words as he slowly lets out a heavy breath. 

“Okay then. If that’s the way you wanna do it, you’re on.” Atsumu says slowly as Osamu flinches in surprise, slightly loosening his grip until Atsumu suddenly jumps up and grabs his collar as well. 

“When we’re on our deathbeds…” Atsumu begins, sneering intensely at Osamu as he grits his teeth. “I’m gonna turn and look you right in yer face… and say I had the happier life!” 

The two brothers glare at each other with pent up emotion before simultaneously letting go of each other’s jackets as turning away, seething. 

“Should I get Kita-san?” Suna asks. 

“Nah, they’re fine.” Ginjima mutters as Y/N and Kagawa enter the gym, seeing the twins in their bad mood. 

“…Well this isn’t something I wanna deal with.” Y/N deadpans as she starts walking backwards. “So I’m gonna pretend I didn’t-” 

“Not so fast.” Kagawa deadpans as she grabs her sleeve, pointing at Atsumu who’s stomping around, fuming as he finally has enough and storms out the gym, not acknowledging anyone as Coach Kurosu enters with Coach Oomi. 

“Alright what didja do?” Coach Kuorus deadpans, looking at the crossly. “What’s wrong with Atsumu?” 

“Pfft- so many things-” 

“What Suna’s tryna say is, he and Osamu had a fight.” Ginjima interrupts as they glance at him. “Uhh, Osamu kinda just said some stuff that set him off, but they’ll be fine.” 

Coach Kurosu pauses for a moment as he sighs. “Is this about…?” 

“Yeah.” Osamu mutters as he nods, avoiding eye contact as Coach Kurosu sighs and pats his shoulder. 

“It’s alright, I understand.” Coach Kurosu encourages as Osamu shrugs in feigned disinterest. 

“Yeah, whatever. Let’s get ready for practise.” Osamu mutters as he walks away to start warming up, the rest of the team watching him worriedly as they glance at each other. 

“Is he gonna be okay…?” 

“He’s gonna be fine.” Y/N sighs tiredly as she glances at the door. “Atsumu though… is he really gonna skip practise like that? I never in a million years would’ve thought that Atsumu would even _think_ about skipping practise.” 

“Yeah…” Coach Kuorus trails off. “…Can you go get him?” 

“Me??” Y/N groans as everyone nods in agreement. “Why me??” 

“You’re like, the only person that Atsumu listens to sometimes other than Kita-san, who’s not here obviously.” Suna smiles as he starts pushing her out the door. “Anyway have fun bringing him back~” 

Y/N sighs tiredly as Suna pushes her out the door and closes it, facepalming before glancing around. Time to find the drama queen. 

Finding Atsumu isn’t difficult, he has three designated sulking areas depending on the severity of his dejection. Y/N easily finds him in the most severe sulking area, glaring at the floor as he ignores her. 

“Atsumu.” Y/N starts, sitting down beside him as he turns his back to her. “Atsumu c’mon, you know you can’t ignore me.” 

Atsumu grunts in response, still not turning to look at her as she sighs, also turning away from him as she leans back on his back, staring up at the sky as he stares down at the ground. 

“You alright?” She asks quietly. 

“…Why wouldn’t I be?” He mutters as she sighs. “Doesn’t bother me at all.” 

“Ya sure?” Y/N asks as Atsumu pauses for a moment. 

“…No.” He mumbles quietly. “Guess it does bother me just a bit…” 

“Just a bit.” Y/N repeats as he shifts slightly under her weight. “I know it’s a surprise but, Osamu’s _really_ happy with his choice, y’know? And well, we can’t really help it if our passion lies elsewhere…” 

“…Yeah.” Atsumu mutters as he sits up and leans back, forcing Y/N to bend down as she scowls. 

“Oi, yer heavy.” 

“Well my back hurts because of you!” 

“And now my back’s breaking!” Y/N groans as she tries to push his back up, but she’s no match for his strength as she elbows his side. 

“Ack-! Rude!” Atsumu huffs as she rolls her eyes. 

“You were tryna break my back.” 

“Yer just weak!” 

“What didja say??” 

“Never mind.” Atsumu huffs as he stands up, dusting off his pants as Y/N stands up as well, falling into another silence as Y/N looks at him with concern. 

“…Are’ya gonna be okay?” Y/N asks tentatively as Atsumu pauses for a bit, shrugging absentmindedly. 

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Atsumu mumbles as she grimaces slightly, patting his back in comfort. “I just…” 

Atsumu sighs as he shakes his head. 

“I just thought we’d keep doin’ everything together… Guess I was stupid to think so.” 

Y/N feels her heart drop as she struggles to find the words to respond, not knowing what to say as Atsumu shrugs. 

“…Let’s get back to practise.” Atsumu mutters quietly as he stuffs his hands in his pockets and starts heading back to the gym, Y/N following behind slightly as she watches him, wishing she had the right words to comfort him. 

She just wants Atsumu to feel okay. 

Practise is tense and awkward as the twins ignore each other’s presence, not talking to each other as everyone glances at them worriedly. They’re doing their best to pretend that nothing happened, doing their best to pretend that everything’s normal. 

But it’s not normal for them to stop talking like this. 

Because volleyball always brought them together. 

Even in their biggest fights. 

Volleyball always brought them together. 

* * *

It is a surprise to discover that studying without Atsumu banging his head in the background is much easier for Y/N’s concentration as she quietly does her homework while on call with Sakusa. Studying alone is distracting, studying with people is distracting, but she finds comfort in company, it’s a bonus that they only have quiet discussions every now and then before falling into prolonged silence. 

Her slightly productive homework session would have been much more effective if she wasn’t rudely interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. 

“Who is it?” Sakusa asks. 

“Atsumu.” Y/N deadpans as they both sigh. 

“Are you going to pick up?” 

“As if I have much of a choice.” Y/N mutters as she answers her phone. “Hello?” 

_“N/N! I uhh… Are’ya free to talk at the moment? If ya wanna meet up and stuff…”_ Atsumu trails off as Y/N blinks in surprise. 

“Like, right now?” 

_“Yeah, if yer free I guess…”_

“I needa think of an alibi if I wanna leave my house y’know…” Y/N sighs. “When and where d’ya wanna meet up?” 

_“Oh, I’m actually already in front of yer house right now.”_

“You’re in front of my house??” 

“Sounds creepy.” Sakusa mutters as she facepalms. 

_“Wait, is that Sakusa??”_ Atsumu asks, having heard his voice through the phone. 

“Doesn’t matter.” Y/N deadpans as she sighs. “Argh… Atsumu, stay out of sight, I’ll think of somethin’ and go to ya, ‘kay?” 

_“Fine fine, I’ll be waitin’.”_ Atsumu mutters as she hangs up, groaning as she holds her head in her hands, trying to think of possible excuses to leave her house that her parents will accept. 

“Sorry Sakusa…” Y/N sighs tiredly. “I really needa go talk to Atsumu now…” 

“It’s fine, it sounds important.” Sakusa says simply. “Are you going to be okay getting out of the house though? Your parents want you to quit so they’re not going to like it if you say you’re running volleyball errands.” 

“…I know.” Y/N mutters dejectedly. “I’ve lost my greatest alibi.” 

“Do you think you can think of another way?” 

“Well, I could jump out the window and hope they don’t notice I’m gone.” 

“I wouldn’t recommend that.” Sakusa deadpans as she shrugs. 

“Oh well, I’ll just have to come up with something on the spot.” Y/N sighs as he nods. “Anyways, I’ll talk to ya later.” 

“Yeah, I hope it goes well.” 

“Same.” 

Finally making it out of her house alive, Y/N glances around quickly before spotting Atsumu’s piss yellow hair and walking over to him. “You owe me big time.” 

“What? Why??” Atsumu groans as she rolls her eyes. 

“Nearly got murdered on my way to get out of the house, but I’m here now so we won’t talk about that.” Y/N mutters as she and Atsumu start walking aimlessly. “Anyway, what didja wanna talk about?” 

“Yeah, what did I wanna talk about.” Atsumu repeats sarcastically as she elbows him. “Ack-! Oi! That hurt!” 

“Your pain is not my problem.” Y/N deadpans. “Now, what didja wanna talk about?” 

“…As if you don’t know.” Atsumu mutters as he scowls at the floor. “…’Samu and I aren’t really talking at all, even mum’s worried and weirded out coz we don’t even fight…” 

“It’s pretty awkward huh?” 

“It’s never awkward with ‘Samu!” Atsumu insists, taking her by surprise as he suddenly stops walking and hesitates. “…At least, it was never awkward with ‘Samu…” 

_‘Wow, the news is hitting him pretty hard.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she pats his back. 

“…D’ya think he’s joking? Like, maybe he’s just pulling a prank on me like always! Y’know? I mean like… we’re still gonna keep playin’ together, right?” Atsumu asks as Y/N hesitates for a moment. 

“…Atsumu. You already know he’s not joking.” Y/N mutters tentatively as Atsumu deflates. 

“…Yeah I know.” Atsumu mumbles as he suddenly turns around and starts walking again while Y/N speeds up a little to catch up. 

“I… don’t really think it’s my place to say anything.” Y/N begins after a while as he glances at her briefly. “But… Osamu’s really happy with his decision, he really wants to do what he loves, and I know the two of us know what it’s like to have somethin’ yer really passionate about, y’know?” 

Atsumu nods along to her words as his shoulders slump down. “…D’ya think he even likes volleyball?” 

“Atsumu, we both _know_ that Osamu loves volleyball.” Y/N says sincerely as she moves ahead to face him. “He just found something he loves more.” 

The two of them stand in silence for a few moments as Atsumu slowly comes to terms with reality. He was so _sure_ that he and Osamu would keep playing volleyball together, far beyond high school. He was so _sure_ that they’d keep pushing each other, he was so _sure_ that they would reach the world stage _together_. 

But he was wrong. 

Osamu had something else that he loved _more_ , he and Atsumu were never destined to walk the same path. And even so… 

“I’m happy for him.” Atsumu murmurs quietly as Y/N blinks in surprise, not expecting that. “Of course I’m happy for him… I’ve always dragged him around everywhere and made him do a buncha stuff, I always dragged him along so we did everythin’ together! And… he’s got somethin’ he wants to do and that’s great! But… but…” 

Y/N holds her breath as she watches him, Atsumu looks so sad in that moment as he stares blankly at the floor. 

“…We’ve always done everything together… Even if there was no one else, I knew I’d have ‘Samu, y’know? He was always with me…” Atsumu mutters quietly as Y/N feels her heart drop. “But now… he’s leaving me and… and we’re not gonna be doin’ stuff together and… I’m gonna be alone and… He’s gonna be alone and…” 

Y/N pulls Atsumu into a hug as she holds onto him tightly, he instinctively returns the hug. 

“I… I’m bein’ overdramatic about this, aren’t I? You guys always said I’m really dramatic…” Atsumu trails off shakily as Y/N shakes her head. 

“You’re not bein’ overdramatic at all.” She says slowly. “You and Osamu have always been together, so it’s understandable…” 

“I _really_ did think we’d always do everything together.” Atsumu mumbles. “And- and suddenly we’re just gonna stop doin’ everything together. I… don’t know if I’ve ever done anything without ‘Samu.” 

Atsumu sighs dejectedly, before shaking his head, letting go and slapping his face. 

“I’m gonna win against him!” Atsumu declares as Y/N tilts her head in confusion. 

“Win what?” 

“I don’t know… life?? I’m gonna be the bestest volleyball player ever! I’m gonna win everything and show him that I don’t need him!” Atsumu declares loudly as Y/N winces, mentally apologising for the noise. “I’m gonna be so good he’ll wish he was me!” 

“Atsumu, I don’t think anyone wishes-” 

“And I’ll say, see? Look what I did without ya! This is everythin’ you missed out on!” 

“Well technically you would have also missed out on Osamu’s achievements-” 

“Just hype me up will ya??” Atsumu groans as Y/N laughs. “Argh, I’m tryna turn this into a competition here! I’m gonna finally do things without ‘Samu and walk down the volleyball path! And… and he’s gonna walk down his own path, and we’re gonna both be mega successful and amazin’!” 

“Aww you included himmm~” Y/N smiles as he huffs and rolls his eyes. 

“No one with my face is allowed to be a scrub! He’s got no choice!” 

“I reckon Osamu doesn’t wanna think about the fact that you both have the same face.” Y/N chuckles as Atsumu rolls his eyes. 

“Whatever~” He chimes half heartedly before sighing slightly. “…Y’know, I guess I’m kinda scared.” 

_‘??? Atsumu’s being honest with his feelings??’_ Y/N thinks to herself in shock 

“We’re the famous Miya Brothers that do everything together!” Atsumu declares before pausing slightly. “But I think it’s time we became just Miya Atsumu, and Miya Osamu.” 

“Yeah… I think so too.” Y/N smiles before karate chopping his back. 

“Ack-!” 

“Alright then, time to take you home so you can cry and hug yer brother as you spill out all yer feelings.” Y/N smirks as she starts pushing him along. 

“Ewwwww no!! And I’m the one that’s s’posed to be taking _you_ home! I can get to my house myself thanks!” 

“Are’ya sayin’ I can’t get to my house myself?” 

“No! It’s just easier and safer.” Atsumu groans as she chuckles. 

“Fine fine, let’s go.” 

“…And don’t tell ‘Samu anything about what I said!” 

“You’ll have to pay me to shut up.” 

“…How much?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm I love writing joyful chapters with no sadness whatsoever <3
> 
> Anyway! How we feeling about the chapter :D I have been eagerly waiting to write it and now I have OuO I cannot _wait_ for the next chapter :) 
> 
> Speaking of writing, I have officially posted a different fic! :D It's an Osamu x Reader oneshot called "Through the Night" which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26993596). It's quite a bit different from this fic but I hope you like it if you decide to read it! :D
> 
> Anyway~ I also drew headshots of all the Inarizaki boys so you can see that here:
> 
> You can find the individual drawings on my Instagram and Twitter =w=
> 
> That being said~ Hope you liked the chapter! :D I have so many things packed into my schedule until the end of the year but I will still do my best to keep updating regularly =w= I have some stuff planned for the next chapter so stay tuned :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~~~  
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	49. Thank you, goodbye.

_「 Inarizaki High School 」_  
_6 March 2013_

“Didja hafta bring flowers?” Atsumu groans as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“It’s a nice gesture, and it’s also tradition for our volleyball club. Second years give third years flowers at graduation. Kita-senpai and the other third years gave their senpai’s flowers last year.” Y/N states matter-of-factly as Atsumu groans once again. 

“Do I have to??” 

“Grow up.” Osamu deadpans as he sighs. “They had to deal with us for the past two years, so it’s the least we could do.” 

“Plus, Y/N and Kagawa-chan put so much effort into preparing the flowers, so rather than complainin’ we should be thankin’ them.” Ginjima says as he elbows Atsumu. “So, thanks Y/N!” 

“Yer welcome, Hitoshi.” Y/N smiles sweetly before dropping her smile and turning to Atsumu with dead eyes. “Why can’t you be like that?” 

“…But it’s embarrassing.” Atsumu mutters under his breath. 

“What’s embarrassing?” 

“EEEEK!!!” Atsumu screams as he turns around in shock. “Ginko-chan! You scared me!” 

Kagawa raises her eyebrow as she walks up to them and looks at Atsumu. “What’s embarrassing?” 

“He thinks it’s embarrassing to-” 

“Nothing! Nothing at all! Shut it Suna!” Atsumu laughs sheepishly as Y/N and Kagawa sigh. 

“Well, I already gave Kosaku-kun and the others some flowers for the third years, so it’s just the regulars and Kita-san left.” Kagawa says. “So, who’s giving who flowers?” 

“Wait, we’re giving them individually??” 

“You four have to give the four third years flowers, I don’t care who you pick, just pick and go.” Y/N deadpans. 

“I dibs Oomimi-san.” Suna says instantly as Y/N nods. 

“I-” 

“I dibs Aran-kun.” Osamu interrupts as he elbows Atsumu, smirking slightly as Atsumu gasps in offence. 

“…Guess I’ll give Akagi-san flowers then.” Ginjima chuckles sheepishly as they all turn their eyes to Atsumu. 

“Wait, then who’s… who…” Atsumu trails off in realisation as he stares at the floor, distraught. “No. Nonononono please! Please! ‘Samu let’s swap!” 

“No, have fun.” Osamu smirks as Atsumu grabs his shoulders and starts shaking him vigorously. 

“Nonono I can’t do this! Suna?? Gin???” 

“Have fun~” Suna chimes helpfully as Atsumu collapses onto the floor. 

“What if I mess up and give flowers wrong??” 

“How do you… give flowers wro… Y’know what? Nevermind.” Kagawa sighs as she shakes her head. “Anyway, you guys needa hide the flowers in yer lockers or something. We needa get back to our classes so we can get seated for the ceremony. Let’s go L/N-chan!” 

“Later guys, have fun with the flowers~” Y/N smiles as she leaves with Kagawa to get to their class, ignoring Atsumu’s pleading eyes. 

“Why’s he bein’ so dramatic about this? It’s just giving some flowers?” Kagawa chuckles as Y/N shrugs. 

“It’s Atsumu, he’s always dramatic about everything.” 

“Ah, right.” 

The two Inarizaki managers fall into an awkward silence as they head to their classroom, not having anything to say to each other. Soon, the third year’s graduation ceremony will commence, and then they’ll all be given the opportunity to say their goodbyes. 

* * *

Seated amongst her fellow second years, Y/N glances around as she takes note of the teachers dressed formally, with some in black suits while others dressed kimonos and hakamas. After a quick scan, Y/N spots Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi directly across from where she’s seated, dressed in suits rather than their usual sports attire. 

Turning around, Y/N glances behind at the back of the room to see the family section, she’s not entirely sure who anyone is, but there is one person that she recognises. 

Kita Yumie. Kita’s grandma came to his graduation. 

Turning back to the front, Y/N takes a deep breath as she smiles slightly. 

It must be nice to have family that cares. 

The Inarizaki band starts to play as the third year homeroom teachers enter, wearing their kimonos as they lead their classes in, standing before their seats and sitting as a class when directed. 

Out of the four third years that Y/N knows the best, Ojiro is the first to enter. Filing in with his class as he wears his school uniform, slightly different from the team jersey that she’s so used to seeing him wearing. A few rows ahead of her, Y/N spots the twins subtly waving at him from their seats. He’s not going to wave back at this formal event, but judging from his small smile, she thinks he saw them. 

Class 6 follows after Class 5 and Akagi is the next to enter, smiling as he takes his seat a little behind and to the side of Ojiro, looking as cheerful as always. Some things never change. 

And finally, Class 7 enters. Kita and Oomimi stand beside each other as they enter and take their seats, sitting upright in their school uniform as the ceremony officially commences. 

Standing up, everyone stands to sing the Japanese National Anthem and Inarizaki High School’s Song before taking their seats as the principal gives a quick speech. Once he’s finished, each homeroom teacher calls the names of their students as they stand up and answer. Somehow, it quickly became a competition amongst the more enthusiastic students to see who could yell the loudest. 

“Ojiro Aran.” 

“Yes!” 

Ojiro stands as the rest of his classmates get called and stand as well before it’s time to move on to Class 6. 

“Akagi Michinari.” 

“YES!” 

Akagi grins as some of his classmates start laughing, still entertained by Akagi’s enthusiasm before their class finishes up and they take their seats. 

Y/N smiles slightly as she watches Class 7’s homeroom teacher enter the stage, wearing her kimono as she calls each of her students individually. 

“Kita Shinsuke.” 

“Yes.” 

Kita stands upright as he faces the front, Y/N can’t help but wonder if he’s smiling or not. Glancing behind her, Y/N notices his grandma beaming brightly as she watches her grandson. 

“Oomimi Ren.” 

“Yes.” 

Oomimi stands just slightly to the side of Kita as the rest of Class 7 stands, one of the students approaches the principal at the podium and formally receives the diplomas on behalf of the students. 

Speeches follow as Y/N tries her best to pay attention, but she can’t help spacing out as the principal drones on, getting distracted as she sees Atsumu a few rows ahead of her starting to fall asleep as Ginjima keeps elbowing him in attempts to wake him up. 

A second year takes the stage as she addresses her upperclassmen and gives her farewell speech, before a third year take his turn addressing the audience on behalf of the graduating class. 

Kita stands before everyone as he gives his speech. 

“Good morning, everyone. These are the words I have used to greet many of you over the past three years as we spent time together at this school. It’s amazing that this school has brought so many of us together as we are seated here today, and I am proud to be able to call myself a classmate and friend to so many of you.” 

“I came to Inarizaki High School three years ago having been scouted by this school’s volleyball coach, and I think many of you are aware that I am now the Captain. Soon, I’ll be able to proudly say that I _was_ the Captain.” 

“Our volleyball club’s official banner reads; _‘We don’t need things like memories’_ , in times like this, I am not sure if I agree. We will continue moving forward as we enter the next stages of our lives; things will change as we leave our memories of Inarizaki behind. Yet at the same time, these memories have woven into our minds as they make us who we are today, and will make who we become tomorrow and the days that follow.” 

“The future is unclear, but we have prepared carefully and properly for it, we are all built upon the small things we do every day, and here we are with the results.” 

“Third years, please turn around and face our second years, the future of Inarizaki. These are the students who will follow in our footsteps as we take our first steps outside of high school.” 

The third years turn around to face them as Y/N takes a deep breath, seeing many of them in tears. 

Ojiro pinches his eyes shut as tears stream down his face, still standing tall. 

Akagi also scrunches his face up as small tears form in the corner of his eyes, he’s trying his hardest not to cry. 

Oomimi is the most composed out of the three, although there are tears in his eyes as he smiles slightly. 

“Three years, that is how long we have spent our time together as we studied here, as we made memories together. Three years sounds like such a long time, but now that we’re here… I’m wishin’ I had a little longer, wishin’ we could have spent more time together. But it’s time to say our goodbyes.” 

“We have each overcome our own difficulties, yet here we stand amongst one another, here we are.” 

“I’m proud to have attended Inarizaki High School with all of you.” 

In that moment, Kita smiles. 

“Thank you for everything, and goodbye.” 

_‘Since we entered this school, years have already passed.’_

_‘We reminisce our precious days and realise how quickly time has flown by.’_

_‘Now is the time that we must part.’_

_‘We’re starting out from here, we’re leaving here.’_

_‘Farewell, our school.’_

_‘Now is the time to say goodbye.’_

* * *

Y/N waits outside with the rest of the volleyball as they wait for the third years to be let out of their final homeroom class, she’s unable to keep still as she keeps fiddling with her fingers, feeling restless. The third years will be let out of their homerooms soon, and then total chaos will commence. 

“So… we still hafta give the flowers, right?” 

“Yes.” Everyone deadpans instantly as Atsumu groans. 

“Argh, fine!” 

“Wait, they’re comin’!” 

The third years start the exist their classrooms as the Inarizaki first and second years go wild, screaming, chanting and crying as the third years laugh and approach their representative clubs to say their goodbyes. 

“It sure is noisy, as always.” Ojiro chuckles as a few of the first years start crying and latch onto him, causing him to laugh as he pats their backs. “I take it you’ll all be sad to see me go?” 

“Of course we are, Aran-kun.” Osamu rolls his eyes as he smiles slightly, giving him the flowers. “Congratulations for graduatin’.” 

“Congrats Aran-kun!” Atsumu cheers as Ojiro laughs and hugs the two troublesome twins. 

“I’ve know ya since you were runts, and now I’m graduatin’… Time really flies.” Ojiro chuckles before noticing the flowers that Atsumu’s holding. “…Those for Kita?” 

“…Shut it!” Atsumu groans as Ojiro and Osamu start laughing at him. 

“I can’t wait to see you give them to him!” Ojiro laughs as Atsumu pouts and blushes. 

“Tch… where is Kita-san anyway? Why didn’t he come with ya?” 

“Kita’s with his grandma, he’s showing her around the school and will return soon.” Oomimi states before turning and smiling as Suna wordlessly gives him some flowers as well. “Thank you.” 

“Congratulations on your graduation…” Suna mutters as he awkwardly avoids eye contact. “I learnt a lot under your care, so thank you for that. I’ll lead Inarizaki’s blocking, following after your example.” 

Smiling, Oomimi nods as he pats Suna’s shoulder. “I look forward to it.” 

“Wow, everyone sure is sappy.” Akagi chuckles as Ginjima approaches him and bows. 

“Thank you for everything, Akagi-san!” 

“Aww thanks!” Akagi cheers as he accepts the flowers. “It’s been great lookin’ after all of ya, all I can really say is, I enrolled at the school, single, and now I’m graduating, still single.” 

Ojiro facepalms as Oomimi chuckles. 

“Akagi! We’re all still single!” 

“I know! It’s so sad!” Akagi groans before he and Ojiro start laughing. “I pray that at least one of you second years isn’t single anymore, by the time you graduate.” 

“Uhh, Kosaku has a girlfriend.” Suna comments. 

“Other than him!” 

“What’s going on here?” 

The first and second years gasp as they turn around. “KITA-SAN!!” 

“Oh? Your teammates are lovely, Shin-chan.” Yumie chuckles as Kita smiles at her. 

“They are, granny. Are you tired? Do you need to sit down somewhere?” 

“Oh I’ll be fine, you should spend your time with your teammates. Don’t worry about me.” Yumie smiles as Kita nods. 

“Let me know if you need anythin’, granny.” 

“Alright.” She chuckles as the coaches approach her and start talking. 

“I apologise for takin’ so long, but I wanted to show granny around the school on my last day.” Kita informs as they smile. 

“There’s nothin’ to apologise for, Kita!” Ojiro chuckles before grabbing Atsumu’s arm. “Although, Atsumu has something he really wants to give you.” 

Suna snorts as he takes out his phone and starts filming, snickering behind the camera as Osamu and the rest of the team enjoy the free entertainment. 

“I- uhh… y’know… um… here!” Atsumu shoves the flowers into Kita’s arms before instantly retracting his hands and awkwardly smiling. 

Blinking in surprise, Kita holds the flowers in his arms before smiling slightly. “Who forced you?” 

“N-No one! I wanted to give them!” Atsumu insists as Kita laughs. 

“Pu-haha! Alright, if you say so.” Kita smiles as he looks up at Atsumu. “It’s been a pleasure takin’ care of you and the rest of the team, both as captain and as an upperclassman. I look forward to seeing how you all grow next year.” 

Atsumu stiffly nods a few times as he tries to think of something to say in response. “I umm… I know I caused a lot of trouble, and stuff… but uhh… Thank you for takin’ care of me.” 

Kita smiles as he chuckles. “It’s been a pleasure.” 

“Alright photo time!” Kagawa and Inoue announce as they take out their cameras. “Line up, we’re gonna take a million photos.” 

“Ohhh us first!” Atsumu cheers as he drags Osamu along. “Let’s take a picture with Aran-kun first, then everyone else!” 

“Calm down, there’s plenty of time to take as many pictures as you want.” Y/N chuckles. “Let’s just take our time, there’s no rush.” 

A lot of individual and group photos get taken as the first and second years float around the third years, saying their final goodbyes before dispersing to say goodbye to the other third years at the school. 

With only the main group and the coaches remaining, Y/N smiles as she watches Suna and Akagi take a wide variety of silly pictures together, using Ginjima as their camera man as Oomimi chuckles. The twins spend their time annoying Ojiro as they also take a lot of silly pictures. 

Kita approaches Coach Kurosu as he bows, opening his bag to take out a small flower arrangement. 

“Thank you, for askin’ me to join Inarizaki.” Kita says as he graciously hands him the gift. “Thank you for seein’ the potential in me, even back in middle school when I didn’t own the uniform, for putting your faith in me as you invited me to join Inarizaki, for putting your faith in me as you made me Captain…” 

“Thank you, I’m grateful for everythin’ you’ve done for me, Coach.” Kita smiles as Coach Kurosu smiles and starts tearing up in response. 

“Ahh… Shinsuke.” Coach Kurosu chuckles as he shakes his head. “Look at ya, you’ve grown up so well. Even in middle school you showed signs of great leadership. You’re effective in everythin’ you do, and precise in everythin’ you say. You’ve always been diligent, and you’ve put everythin’ into doin’ everything right. And now that yer a third year… now that yer graduating…” 

Coach Kurosu sniffles slightly as he claps Kita on the shoulder. “Shinsuke, you’ve grown up so well, I’m so proud of how you’ve led our team as Cap’n. Lookin’ at ya now… I can see that yer brimming with confidence.” 

“I have no doubts that you have a bright future ahead.” 

“Thank you.” Kita smiles, as he bows one last time. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.” 

“You got yer hands full next year, Y/N.” Ojiro chuckles as he takes a picture with her. “I mean, you had yer hands full this year as well, but things are just gonna get more hectic from now on.” 

“I know.” Y/N chuckles as she shakes her head, looking at the twins as she and Ojiro sigh in exasperation. “We’re gonna become the senpai’s soon…” 

“And I’m gonna be free!” Ojiro laughs. “I got scouted by some great teams, so I’m gonna think carefully before I decide and accept.” 

“I look forward to watchin’ yer games, Aran-senpai.” 

“Thanks.” He chuckles before pulling Y/N into a hug. “Thanks for spendin’ so much time with the team and bein’ so dedicated, you really didn’t needa, but we’re all very grateful.” 

“Oh… it’s no problem…” Y/N mutters as Ojiro shakes his head. 

“I really mean it y’know. It’s not easy dealin’ with us, especially the twins and Suna, but ya still stayed with us.” Ojiro smiles as he pats her back. “I look forward to watchin’ ya grow even more, and don’t listen to what yer parents say, I can’t wait to see where your art takes you. I’m rootin’ for ya, ‘kay?” 

“‘Kay…” Y/N shakily nods in response as she smiles. “Thank you for takin’ care of me, these past two years.” 

“The pleasure’s all mine.” Ojiro grins before turning around and sighing in exasperation. “You twins! That’s my bag!” 

“Aran never catches a break.” Oomimi chuckles as he approaches Y/N. “He says he’ll be free now that he’s graduating, but I doubt he’ll ever be able to escape the twins.” 

“I don’t think he’ll ever be free either.” Y/N chuckles as Oomimi smiles. 

“I’d say the same about you, I don’t think you’ll ever be free from the grasps of the club.” Oomimi chuckles as Y/N sighs and pouts. “Thank you for all yer hard work.” 

“Thank you for takin’ care of me.” Y/N smiles in response. 

“Sayin’ my farewells have taken much longer than anticipated, Ren.” Kita states as he approaches them. “Although, I suppose I’m fortunate enough to have so many people to say goodbye to.” 

“I’d say the same for me, Shinsuke.” Oomimi smiles. “I’ll letcha talk with Y/N, I’m sure she has a lot to say to you.” 

Y/N smiles as she turns to Kita, who opens his bag and takes out a small knitted scarf, folded neatly as he hands it to her. 

“I made this scarf for you, Y/N. I hope you cherish it and wear it when it’s cold, please take care of yourself.” Kita says as Y/N blinks in surprise and accepts the scarf. “I know you say you don’t get cold easily, but I hope you dress more warmly when the cold weather comes.” 

“Oh… thank you…” Y/N mutters under her breath as she holds the scarf in her hands, in disbelief. “I’ll cherish it… I’m truly grateful.” 

“I’m glad.” Kita smiles. “You’ve worked hard these past two years, and I have complete faith that you’ll continue working hard as the years pass us by. I’ve always been proud to have such a wonderful kouhai.” 

“Kita-senpai…” Y/N trails off as she shakily smiles. “Thank you so much… for everything…” 

“Pu-haha! Ya don’t hafta thank me so much.” Kita laughs before gesturing to the rest of the team. “I’m sure there’s a lot of things we have to say to each other, yet at the same time there isn’t much to say.” 

“Yeah… now that we’re here I don’t really know what to say to everyone…” Y/N chuckles sheepishly as Kita smiles. 

“Why not take a picture? There have been many photos taken today but I don’t think I’ve had any with the regulars, or with the other third years.” Kita says as Y/N blinks in surprise. 

“Alright then, let’s take a group picture.” 

“Whaddya mean I can’t be in the picture??” Atsumu complains as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“This one’s for the third years, and _then_ we take a group picture later.” Y/N deadpans as she sighs. “…I won’t say anythin’ if you photobomb though.” 

“Deal.” Atsumu grins as he and Osamu run off, while Suna chuckles. 

“Losers.” 

“Don’t insult ‘em, Suna!” Ginjima says as he pinches his eyes shut, he hasn’t been able to stop crying for the past few minutes. 

“Gin, yer face is a mess.” 

“I know!” 

“Alright do you two wanna photobomb too? I’m about to take the pic y’know.” Y/N chuckles as Ginjima stiffly nods while crying. 

“Pfft, let’s go then.” Suna chuckles as he pats Ginjima on the shoulder and leads him away from Y/N. 

The four third years line up in front of Y/N as they smile and hold onto their flowers, Suna and Ginjima slightly behind them as Suna smiles while Ginjima continues crying. In the background, Y/N can see the twins jumping up and down behind Ojiro as she chuckles. 

“Alright, let’s take this picture.” Y/N chuckles, taking out the camera as she sees her teammates through the lenses. “3, 2, 1…” 

_Click._

* * *

Three years, that’s how long her senpai’s had spent at the school. And although she’s only been there for two of those years, they were a wonderful two years. 

The struggles they went through together, the wins, and the losses. 

They had fun as they smiled and laughed together, as they supported one another and watched each other grow. 

Akagi, Oomimi, Ojiro, Kita… 

It’s strange, seeing people you spent so much time with, turn around as they say their goodbyes. It’s strange. 

The time you spend with the people you trust the most is truly precious. And that time will fly by before you know it, carrying away your heavy heart as you say your final farewells. 

All good things come to an end, but they open opportunity for new things will great potential. 

So as they reach their time to say goodbye, they begin to approach their new beginnings. 

* * *

“Y/N!” 

Y/N turns at the sound of Akagi's voice as she smiles weakly, it doesn't help that he's beaming at her. 

“You that sad to see me go that you can't even smile?” Akagi chuckles as Y/N pouts as rolls her eyes, causing Akagi to laugh even harder. “Aww c'mere!” 

Akagi pulls Y/N into a hug as she trembles slightly in his hold, gripping onto him as he smiles and pats her head, not saying a word as he holds her for a few moments, before finally letting go. 

“C'mon, let's walk home one last time.” 

_‘The words I held onto, that I wasn’t able to say. I think you understand them anyway.’_

_‘Thank you, goodbye.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers, I see we are all doing well :D
> 
> So, how we feeling after that chapter? :D 
> 
> I said last chapter that I had some stuff planned for this one :) And indeed I did! Remember when I said that I had reasons for drawing so much Inarizaki art? OuO (It's ok if you don't remember, it was ages ago)
> 
> I've compiled all my Inarizaki art into an art set! :D You can check out my Instagram or Twitter for more photos that I will post! (Or have posted, depending on when you're reading this)  
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> This fic is far from over, and I've been planning many many things for the future of this book =w= I hope you look forward to reading what I have planned! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	50. Endings and Beginnings

“I’m gonna go buy my books for this year.” Y/N says as she puts her shoes on at the front of the house. 

“Come home soon.” Her mother calls after her as she swiftly leaves, making her way down the street as she glances around, alert. She wouldn’t put it past the immature boys to try jump scare her on the street. 

After a few minutes of walking, Y/N makes it to the nearby park that they had all agreed to meet at, only to find that they are nowhere in sight. 

_‘Ah, they’re totally trying to jump scare me.’_ Y/N internally deadpans as she slowly makes her way to a bench and puts her bag down. 

Sensing movement behind her, Y/N quickly ducks down as a volleyball flies over her head, turning around to sees Osamu quickly run behind a tree that totally does a good job at hiding his body. 

Groaning, Y/N’s just about to tell him off before she sees Atsumu start Naruto-running towards her from the corner of her eye. 

“AHHH!!!” Atsumu yells as he charges towards her. Rolling her eyes, Y/N grabs the strap of her bag as she swings it around, aiming for his head. Unfortunately for her, Atsumu has athletic reflexes and promptly dodges her attack. 

Just as he’s about to tackle her, Osamu runs up from the side and tackles Atsumu to the ground. 

“Ackguh-!” Atsumu winces as he skids on the grass, groaning from the pain of Osamu’s attack. “‘Samu! Why’dja attack me like that??” 

“I was protectin’ N/N.” Osamu says seriously as he quickly gets off the floor and pats down his pants. 

“Didn’tcha just throw a volleyball at me?” Y/N deadpans as Osamu avoids eye contact. 

“I would do no such thing.” 

“He totally did N/N!” Atsumu accuses as he quickly jumps up, pointing at Osamu. “He tried to attack ya!” 

“Throwing a volleyball and tackling are two completely different things, Atsumu.” Y/N facepalms as she sighs. “I could have died.” 

“Exactly, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu nods along. “I had to protect our precious manager from a monster… Even though that monster is my own brother…” 

“Am I watching a live action drama?” Suna asks as he approaches them with Ginjima. “I have to say though, the male leads look kind of lame.” 

“HUH?!” 

“Why are we already fightin’…?” Ginjima sighs tiredly as his shoulders slump. “We’re gonna be third years next week… And nothing’s changed…” 

“Are things meant to change?” Y/N asks in disinterest as she shrugs. “We’re just gonna be a year older, that’s it. Though I guess we hafta be a bit more responsible now that we’re the senpais…” 

“Yes! Responsible!” Ginjima exclaims. 

“We’re gonna be the senpais, huh?” Atsumu repeats as he strokes his chin in thought. “I wonder what kinda first years we’re gonna get…” 

“Tall and good since we’re pretty short and we need good players.” Suna says. “But not too good because I want to be on the court as well.” 

“Aww didja hear that? He wants to be on the court! Rintarou’s growin’ up!” Y/N teases as Suna rolls his eyes. 

“Whatever.” 

“Can we eat yet?” Osamu asks boredly. “I had to wrestle a monster so I’m hungry now.” 

“‘Samu!” Atsumu whines as they start dragging him towards their intended location. 

“Can we take the bus this time? I don’t want to walk.” Suna mumbles as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“Aren’t you an athlete?” 

“I am just a tired child.” 

“And I’m tired… of you.” Y/N deadpans as Suna gasps and clutches his heart, stumbling back as he grabs onto Osamu’s shoulder as if he was pained. 

“I… can’t go on… she’s tired of me…” Suna wheezes out as they all sigh at his dramatics. 

“I should’ve just gone to the restaurant first.” Ginjima deadpans. “I’d prefer waitin’ for all of you to arrive rather than havin’ to deal with you.” 

“Oh we’re gonna have sushi like last year?” Atsumu asks excitedly as his eyes sparkle. “Yess!! Fatty tuna!!” 

“Do you not feed him at home or somethin’…?” Y/N asks as she whispers to Osamu. 

“As if I’d let him go hungry.” Osamu deadpans. “He’s just a child.” 

“Aren’t you-” 

“Alright I’m bannin’ all of you from talkin’ until we get to the restaurant!” Ginjima groans as they all promptly shut up, avoiding eye contact as they look around. 

Ginjima is able to enjoy exactly 4 seconds of silence. 

“Wait, why are we listening to Gin?” Suna asks. 

“Yeah! I’m gonna talk all I want!” Atsumu declares as Ginjima almost collapses to the floor in defeat. 

“School hasn’t even started and I’ve had enough of ya!” 

Eating together at the restaurant, the five students converse light-heartedly as they enjoy each other’s company and make predictions for the new school year. These predictions quickly turn to bets and heated arguments, but Ginjima somehow manages to calm everyone down before they start attacking each other. 

Every now and then, Atsumu steals the food off of Osamu and Ginjima’s plates as Y/N and Suna decide to ignore his rudeness, deciding that pretending nothing happened is self care. 

After a while, Y/N checks her phone for the time before beginning to pack up her things. 

“Ah sorry guys, I need to go home now, you know how my parents are.” She apologises as Atsumu crosses his arms and glares at her. 

“Nuh-uh! Yer not pullin’ this off again!” 

“Whaddya talkin’ about?” Y/N deadpans as she stares at him, standing up and crossing her arms. 

“You left early last year and didn’t pay!” Atsumu groans as he points at her. “I’m not lettin’ ya get away with that this time!” 

Y/N stares at Atsumu for an uncomfortable amount of time as he starts to sweat. Pulling her eyes away, Y/N’s eyes dart around the restaurant for an escape route before staring directly at an open window a little behind Atsumu. 

Noticing her line of sight, Atsumu quickly jumps up and guards the window. “Aha! Yer not gettin’-” 

Y/N quickly grabs her bag and runs out the door before Atsumu even notices, leaving him dumbfounded as he blinks in surprise. 

“Huh?” 

“Didja think she was gonna jump out the window or somethin’?” Osamu deadpans. 

“B-But she was lookin’ right at it!” Atsumu groans as he sits back down, slamming his head into the table. “She tricked me!” 

“Isn’t it a setter tactic to glance around and distract the blockers? She just pulled a setter’s tactic on you.” Suna mumbles boredly as he quickly gathers his things. “Anyway, I need to get home too so I’ll see you three later.” 

“Later.” 

The remaining three sit in silence for a few moments. 

“Suna totally just escaped didn’t he.” Osamu sighs. 

Ginjima slams his head into the table as Atsumu resists the urge to scream. 

* * *

Y/N sluggishly gets ready for her first day of third year, sleep deprived but somehow functioning. Once she’s ready to go, she promptly leaves the house to get to her bus stop, needing to be early on her first day. 

Letting out a sigh, Y/N tugs her scarf as she smiles slightly. She doesn’t have a problem with the weather, but Kita’s scarf provides it’s own sense of comfort, just as Kita did when he was still in school. 

As her bus pulls up at her stop, Y/N half expects someone to call her name, being so used to it. She shouldn’t have been taken aback when she was greeted with silence. 

She misses it a little, Akagi smiling at her from his seat on the bus, beckoning her over to sit with him, the light-hearted chatting. She’ll just have to get use to his absence. 

Walking over to the gymnasium alone, Y/N smiles slightly as she sees the twins already there. 

“Mornin’ N/N!” Atsumu calls as he smiles. 

“Mornin’.” Osamu mumbles after him. 

“Mornin’.” Y/N chuckles as she shakes her head. “Ready for our final year of high school?” 

“I was ready to graduate before I even got here.” Suna mumbles from behind her as he enters the club room. “Morning guys.” 

“Wow, yer not late.” Y/N comments as he rolls his eyes. 

“Am I ever late?” He asks boredly as Y/N shrugs. 

“Well-” 

“Don’t answer that.” Suna deadpans as she holds her hands up in mock surrender. 

“Alrighty alrighty~ I’m gonna need to check over our equipment now. Later guys.” Y/N calls as they wave her off. 

Y/N thoroughly checks over the equipment in the storage room, taking note of anything that needs to be replaced. Once everything is checked over, she takes out her old club book from the previous school year, it’s filled with their stat sheets and various notes. It’s the same routine she did the previous year. 

“L/N-chan! Mornin’!” Kagawa cheers as she approaches Y/N. 

“Mornin’ Kagawa-chan.” Y/N answers as she smiles politely. “Didja have a good holiday?” 

“Would have been better if it was longer, but yes I did.” Kagawa chuckles. “How was yer holiday?” 

“The concept of holidays doesn’t exist at my house.” Y/N sighs. “But oh well~ that is life I suppose.” 

“Mornin’ Kagawa-senpai! L/N-senpai!” Inoue calls as she enters the room, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, am I late?” 

“Nope, not at all. So nice to see ya again, Chika-chan!” Kagawa smiles cheerfully as she hugs her quickly. “You ready for another year of fun?” 

“Haha… fun…” 

“It’s not too late to escape, y’know?” Y/N chuckles as they make their way over to the coaches. “It’s too late for me to escape, but you can probs get away easily.” 

Inoue shakes her head as she grins. “I like it here though!” 

Y/N blinks in surprise as she smiles slightly. “I do too.” 

The current club members gather around the coaches as they listen to what they have to say. 

“Welcome back to another year! Looks like most of us stayed~” Coach Kurosu chuckles. “First years will be joinin’ this week, there are a few that caught my attention, and one that I recruited from his middle school, so I think we have a promisin’ line up. Remember to be nice and don’t cause trouble, lookin’ at you Atsumu.” 

Atsumu flinches as he avoids eye contact, pretending as if he has no idea what Coach Kurosu’s talking about. 

“We’re gonna have tryout’s and we’ll be givin’ out the uniforms at the end of next week once we’re all done with that and have our starting line up. Interhigh’s just ‘round the corner as usual, so let’s all work hard!” 

“Right!” 

“Alright, now let’s go over the other stuff…” 

The coaches continue discussing the details and changes in the club as the members listen diligently and pipe up every now and then. Once they finish going over everything, they’re all dismissed so they can prepare for the opening ceremony. 

“Alrighty, let’s go.” Y/N sighs as she stretches. 

“Let’s officially become third years.” 

* * *

Waving goodbye to Kagawa as they go their separate ways, Y/N goes outside to the picnic table that she and the now-third year boys usually frequent at lunchtime, sitting down and relaxing as the other four come. 

“School sucks!” Atsumu declares as he sits down, getting ignored. 

“How was yer first few classes, Y/N?” Ginjima asks as he also sits down. 

“Ehh it was okay.” Y/N shrugs. “It’s not much different from last year to be honest, so everything’s all good~” 

“Yeah, I kind of wasn’t paying attention to anything though.” Suna shrugs boredly. “Though I do want to know who coach recruited.” 

“Ohh that’s true, he recruited ya didn’t he, Suna?” Atsumu asks excitedly. “He recruited Kita-san as well! So whoever he got must be really good.” 

“Didn’t he recruit you twins and Aran?” Ginjima asks as Osamu shakes his head. 

“Nah, we were already part of the Inarizaki group so he didn’t need to recruit us, we were already gonna go to Inarizaki anyways.” Osamu shrugs. “But Coach is usually on the lookout for exceptional middle school volleyball players, that’s how he found Kita and Suna.” 

“Being able to recruit exceptional players is honestly an amazing skill… He could make so much money as a scout for the pro teams.” Y/N mutters as she thinks. “But I guess it’s not that stable of a career choice in comparison to coaching so oh well~” 

“He said he recruited one though, right? Dammit I really wanna know who it is.” Atsumu groans. 

“Guess we’ll find out this week.” Y/N shrugs. “There’ll probs be a few manager applications but we already got all spots full, so at least I don’t hafta review and pick a few.” 

“You still gotta reject them though.” Osamu mutters. “Ah, but I think yer already used to that.” 

“What.” Y/N deadpans. 

“Intentional heartbreaker.” Suna states as he points at her. 

“No I’m not.” Y/N rolls her eyes. “No one even likes me anyway.” 

“Liar!” Suna accuses as he scowls. “What about your ‘Y/N Fanclub’, huh?? Are they nothing to you? Do they not exist?” 

“Wait, I have a fanclub? For what?” 

“I don’t know, for existing?” Suna shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. Atsumu has a fanclub as well, and I have no idea how that formed either.” 

“Hah?? It’s obviously coz of my setter skills.” Atsumu scoffs as he rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah… setter skills…” Ginjima mutters as he sighs. “You handsome guys will never understand my struggles…” 

“Oi, you’ve got yer own fanclub too.” Y/N deadpans. “So don’t go thinkin’ yer not handsome or anything.” 

“Wait, I do?” 

“Who do you think’s been screamin’ yer name at our matches??” 

“I thought that was my mum and sisters!” 

“Unintentional heartbreaker.” Suna whispers as Ginjima facepalms. 

“Stop that, Suna!” 

“They tried to silence him because he told the truth…” Suna mutters ominously. 

“They tried to silence him because he was annoying.” Y/N deadpans as she sighs. “Anyway, let’s play the silent game. I’m tired of hearin’ all yer voices.” 

“Deal.” 

“Alright.” 

“Wait, I hate this game.” Atsumu groans as Osamu nods along. 

“You forfeiting already? You wanna lose?” Y/N asks as Atsumu’s competitiveness skyrockets. Shaking his head, Atsumu mimes zipping his lips as he sits there quietly. 

After a few moments, Suna turns to Y/N. 

“So like, I don’t really care about losing, but the twins would _hate_ to lose to each other.” Suna smirks. “Let’s see how long it takes for them to break.” 

“Alright.” Y/N smirks in response as Ginjima sighs. 

“I’m surrounded by horrible people…” 

For the rest of their lunch, Atsumu angrily tries to use hand gestures to communicate with the rest of the team, while Osamu sits in his seat and eats quietly. The whole scene was mildly concerning to the rest of the students that passed by their table, with the exception of a few first years. 

Watching the Inarizaki third years have their lunch together, a certain first year can’t help but notice their dynamic. 

These are his senpais afterall, and he’ll meet them on the court soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so nostalgic omg XD They're third years now :')) They're growing up :'))
> 
> I'm so excited to write their third year~ Can't wait to show the lineup~ Can't wait to write what happens at Nationals :) I hope you enjoy what I have planned :D
> 
> Also... I'm saying this to seal my fate but... 
> 
> ...Would anyone be interested in an Iizuna x Reader fic with EJP Raijin focus...? Asking for no reason at all...
> 
> Anyways :D I hope you enjoyed the chapter although it's a little shorter than they usually are~ I think the length is ok though so ya =w= Thanks for reading! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	51. Rebirth

“So you’re meeting the new members tomorrow?” 

“Yep, same for you right?” Y/N asks. 

“Yeah, we’ll be having tryouts.” Sakusa confirms. “It’ll be interesting to see what kind of first years we get, as well as who coach decides our captain is.” 

“Ohh that’s true, I’m really lookin’ forward to seein’ what kind of first years we get.” Y/N chuckles. “We got some nice ones last year so I’m hopeful that we’ll get nice ones this year too~” 

“Is that so?” Sakusa asks as she nods. “What kind of first years would you like to join the club?” 

“Hmm…” Y/N thinks to herself for a moment. “Well, Rintarou said he wants tall and good players, which I agree with, but I guess I kinda want… cheerful members? Like, not too snarky or serious. Akagi-senpai was the most cheerful but he’s already left, and our most serious members already left as well so we’re kinda just left with the snarky members… Also, I’d prefer to not have anyone hot headed.” 

“So, you don’t want another Miya Atsumu.” Sakusa deadpans as she smiles. 

“Nope~ One’s enough thanks.” 

“I see…” 

“How ‘bout you Sakusa? What kinda first years do you want?” Y/N asks. 

“I’m not fussed, anyone can join if they’d like.” Sakusa shrugs. “As long as they do things properly then I have no complaints.” 

“Mmm, you’d make a great captain y’know, you’re kinda like Kita-senpai but really different at the same time.” Y/N smiles as Sakusa blinks in surprise. 

“I’m honoured?” 

“I’d be if I were compared to Kita-senpai.” Y/N chuckles. “But I do think you’d be a good choice for Itachiyama’s captain, unless you think otherwise?” 

“I think Komori would make a nice captain, he’s much more likable than I am and gets along well with others.” Sakusa answers simply. “However, that wouldn’t be possible considering he’s a libero.” 

“True true~” Y/N nods along. 

“How about Inarizaki’s captain?” 

“Hm?” 

“Who do you think is going to be Inarizaki’s captain?” Sakusa repeats as Y/N chuckles nervously. 

“Haha… who do _you_ think is gonna be Inarizaki’s captain?” 

“I think your Number 5, or whatever number he’ll be this year, would be a nice choice, but your reaction tells me otherwise.” Sakusa sighs as Y/N blinks in surprise. 

“You think Hitoshi would make a good captain?” 

“Yes, he seems reliable.” Sakusa confirms as Y/N nods. 

“Yeah… he’d make a good captain…” Y/N says after a moment. “But I don’t think he’ll be chosen as captain anyways.” 

“Why not?” 

“Well… We’re Inarizaki.” Y/N shrugs nonchalantly. “Sure, Hitoshi is reliable and a great leader, but he doesn’t think so which is where the problem lies. Inarizaki’s playstyle… we charge ahead without holding onto any concerns, we don’t have room for doubts. Hitoshi is a great leader, but he’s not suited to be Inarizaki’s leader.” 

“Ah… that makes sense…” Sakusa says after a while before sighing. “So, that means…” 

“Yep.” Y/N chuckles. “The options are pretty limited aren’t they~” 

“I sure hope your next captain isn’t the Miya I think it’ll be.” 

“I wouldn’t be too hopeful if I were you~” 

* * *

Walking into the gym with Kagawa for their tryouts, Y/N quickly helps with setting up before the first years arrive. Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi are already discussing together as they hold a sheet of paper with the names of the new members trying out. Curiosity gets the better of her as Y/N discreetly walks behind Coach Kurosu and peeks over his shoulder, trying to read the names before he turns it away from her. 

“Whaddya doin’.” He deadpans as she smiles innocently. 

“Aww can’t I just know the names?” She asks as he sighs. 

“Nope, you don’t get special treatment.” He chuckles as she pouts and sighs. “You’ll see ‘em soon enough anyways, can’t you just wait a few more minutes?” 

“Nah, I will literally die if I wait.” Y/N says seriously. 

“Then go die in the locker room, I don’t want a dead body in the gym.” Coach Kurosu chuckles as Y/N sighs in defeat, heading over to the locker room to get her notes. She’ll need to be writing the stat sheets for each member. 

Maybe she spent a little too long in the locker room, because Y/N perks up as she hears a chorus of greetings coming from the gym as she quickly rushes out to look. 

_‘Tall.’_

That’s Y/N’s first thought as she blinks in surprise, missing everyone’s short self-introduction as she tries to wrap her head around how tall this first year is. Slowly walking up to join the rest of the third years, Suna glances at her briefly before turning back to the first years. 

“What are you thinking?” 

“Tall.” 

“I thought so too.” Suna mutters as he smirks. “Reckon he makes 2 metres?” 

“Nah… not yet at least.” Y/N whispers back. 

“I recognise him.” Atsumu whispers as he leans in as well. “He’s a pretty famous middle school blocker, I think coach recruited him.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised…” Y/N chuckles as tryouts begin. 

The Inarizaki volleyball tryouts finish up with no issues, showing a number of promising new members, with the tall first year as a standout. Although his techniques have room for improvement, his blocking and game sense excel ahead of the other first years. Of course, this doesn’t make up for his extremely unstable receive. 

“He’s good.” Atsumu shrugs. “But only scrubs struggle at receiving a ball.” 

“He’s a first year, he’s not gonna be perfect.” Y/N deadpans. 

“Yeah, I think he’s great!” Ginjima chuckles. “Sure his receiving, spiking and serving need a little work, but that’s what we’re here for right? To help our kouhais?” 

The other third years remain silent as they avoid eye contact, pretending that they didn’t hear Ginjima as he sighs. 

“Well if you guys don’t wanna, I’ll still be helpin’ the first and second years.” Ginjima sighs as Suna pats his shoulder. 

“Gin… you’re so reliable.” 

“Thanks, I wish I could say the same for you.” Ginjima deadpans as Suna snickers. 

“He’s going to have a hard time filling in after Oomimi-san if he makes the line-up, but even so, I’m still pretty impressed.” Suna says as he glances at the first year. “I didn’t think we’d get someone so tall.” 

“Me neither.” Y/N adds as she looks over her notes. “I’m gonna needa measure everyone soon to get their heights.” 

“Hm? Ya wanna know my height?” 

The third years turn at the voice as they see the first year standing right next to them. 

“Oi, don’t just interrupt our conversation like that.” Atsumu scowls as he watches the first year carefully. 

“Atsumu, don’t go startin’ fights.” Coach Kurosu sighs as he approaches them. The first year looks over to Atsumu, tilting his head as he smiles. 

“Oh? So you’re Atsumu-paisen!” He exclaims cheerfully. “You’re much shorter up close! I didn’t recognise you because of yer piss yellow straw hat! Wait that’s yer hair? Wow! What an interesting choice of colour!” 

Y/N’s eyes sparkle as she gasps excitedly, tugging Coach Kurosu’s sleeve as she whispers. “He’s perfect…!” 

“What the hell??” Atsumu gasps, taken aback as Osamu and Suna grin in excitement, glancing back and forth between Atsumu and the first year as Ginjima facepalms in the background. 

“No no! I think it suits you!” The first year insists as he nods excitedly. “Piss yellow! Really suits yer personality!” 

“Pfft-!” Osamu snorts as Suna quickly takes out his phone to film, trying to conceal his snickers as the two boys eagerly watch the exchange. 

“Wh-wha-?” 

Y/N does her best to stop smiling as she pats Atsumu on the shoulder, who’s speechless as he tries to process everything. “Ah, you’ll hafta be patient with Atsumu, he’s not used to such direct attacks so… He’s a little slow.” 

“Ohh I see!” The first year nods as he smiles at her. “You must be L/N-paisen! I’ve heard about you! Wait, can I call you by yer first name??” 

“Sure.” Y/N chuckles. 

“H-He didn’t even ask me-” Atsumu mutters out as they ignore him. 

“Thanks Y/N-paisen! I’m really excited to be on the same team as you, and Suna-paisen!” He exclaims as he quickly looks over at Suna. “Yer a great middle blocker! I’ll do my best to learn from ya!” 

“Thanks.” Suna smirks as the first year turns back to Y/N. 

“Anyway, it’s nice to meetcha! I’m 195cm as of the last time I checked but I think I’ve grown a few millimetres!” 

“Oh wow, that’s even taller than Oomimi-senpai.” Y/N says, impressed as he nods eagerly. “Sorry, but I didn’t really catch yer name…?” 

“Oh right! I’m Takahama Inuhiko!” He introduces himself as he bows quickly. “I play as a middle blocker so yeah! But I hear that this team’s setter isn’t that great, so maybe I’ll replace him instead!” 

“Excuse me??” Atsumu snaps out of his daze as he glares at Takahama. 

“Jokin’ jokin’~ Everyone knows yer the best high school setter, Atsumu-paisen.” Takahama chuckles. “But yeah! It’s nice to meetcha Y/N-paisen!” 

“Nice to meetcha too, Takahama-kun.” Y/N smiles. “I saw your blocking, I think yer a pretty good middle blocker.” 

“Thanks! I think yer pretty!” 

“Wh-wha?” 

“Damn… I really like this first year.” Osamu whispers as Suna nods. 

“For real, he’s so blunt and honest but in fun way.” 

Ginjima sighs tiredly as he watches the scene unfold. “I think he’s gonna fit in perfectly…” 

* * *

After dinner, Y/N quickly rushes into her bedroom as quickly takes her phone out and calls Sakusa, waiting a few seconds as he picks up. 

“He-” 

“You won’t believe what kind of first years we got.” Y/N says excitedly. 

“I was just about to ask how it went, but it seems like you’re already telling me.” Sakusa chuckles. “So, what kind of first years did you get?” 

“We got this really tall, I mean _really_ tall first year! Almost 2 metres! He’s a middle blocker and he’s great but that’s not the best part!” Y/N exclaims as her eyes sparkle. “He called Atsumu’s hair a piss yellow straw hat! I think I ascended in that moment oh my gosh-!” 

Sakusa blinks in surprise, before smirking slightly. “Oh? This first year sounds rather interesting…” 

“He is! I’m seriously lookin’ forward to havin’ him on the team.” Y/N laughs. “He’s probs gonna make the line up to be honest, even though he’s lackin’ in some skills, but I think he’d be a great addition to the team.” 

“I look forward to playing against him then.” Sakusa says. “It will be interesting to see how both our teams have changed with the new additions and former members gone.” 

“Mm yeah, how were your tryouts, Sakusa?” Y/N asks as Sakusa shrugs. 

“Normal, there were good players and there were not so good players, we will be training through the week and will have our official starting order and numbers decided by the end of next week. I assume the same would be for you?” 

“Yeah~ and then we’ll be havin’ practise matches before Interhigh.” Y/N chimes. “In the grand scheme of things, I feel like time really flies, y’know? My second year felt so long while I was in it, but lookin’ back, it’s kinda just like I blinked and then it was over.” 

“I think I understand.” Sakusa mutters as she smirks. 

“Do you though? Or are’ya just sayin’ that?” 

“I understand.” He deadpans as she chuckles. 

“Alright alright~ If ya say so~” 

“I also feel like my second year passed by in a blur, although I am completely aware that it did not.” Sakusa says simply as Y/N listens carefully. “I suspect I will feel similarly with our third year. I’ll just have to keep doing everything properly and making the most of every opportunity I get.” 

Y/N smiles at this. “That’s so like you.” 

“Yes, well, I would be concerned if I were unlike myself.” 

* * *

Y/N watches Ginjima as he helps the first years with their receiving practise, doing drills with them as he shows them his form and stance. The first years listen carefully as he explains and demonstrates, being extra patient with them as they do their best. 

“Gin’s helping the first years again?” Suna asks as he walks up to her. 

“Yep.” Y/N confirms as they both continue watching him. After a few moments, Suna sighs. 

“He’s totally the cool senpai, isn’t he?” 

“Yep.” Y/N chuckles. “You can be the cool senpai too if you wanna, y’know.” 

“Yeahhhhh no.” 

“Not cool enough?” Y/N asks as she smirks. 

“Nah, just too lazy.” 

Ginjima bumps up the ball back up as Takahama moves his arms to the side in attempts to receive, only for it to bounce away at an unexpected angle. 

“Argh! I’m so bad at this!” Takahama groans as he scrunches up his face. 

“Nah, ya doin’ great!” Ginjima encourages as he smiles. “Just remember, it’s always better to move yer feet first before movin’ yer arms, you need to position properly rather than reach for it, even though yer super tall.” 

“Alright…” Takahama sighs tiredly. 

“Also, make sure yer feet are staggered, it makes it hard to move if both feet are lined up, so make sure one’s in front of the other.” 

“Got it! Yer really amazin’ Gin-san!” Takahama exclaims as the other first years nod. 

“Yeah! Yer really cool! I wanna get good like you!” 

Ginjima blinks in surprise before chuckling and scratching the back of his head bashfully. “Ah, I’m not that great… You first years are really good y’know, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of ya made the line up instead of me.” 

“Whaddya talkin’ about? Of course you’d make the line up! I think you’d be captain as well! It’s be so nice to have ya as captain!” 

Smiling slightly, Ginjima shakes his head. “Nah, there’s no way. Even if I got chosen, I’ll say no.” 

“But why…?” 

Ginjima chuckles as he shrugs. 

“Inarizaki doesn’t need a self-conscious leader.” 

* * *

The week quickly passes by as the members train diligently. Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi carefully discuss the potential starting order amongst themselves before calling all the club members for a meeting to distribute the uniform. 

“Gather ‘round!” Coach Kurosu calls as he gets everyone’s attention. 

“It’s time to give out yer uniforms now, we’ve been thinkin’ about the line up carefully and gone over each of yer current skills and abilities.” Coach Kurosu says as he smiles. “Remember, don’t be disheartened if ya don’t get a uniform, we’ll keep workin’ harder and harder until our efforts pay off. Kinda like how dogs work hard to do tricks and get treats!” 

_‘Does he make the same dog analogy every year…’_ Everyone sweat drops internally. 

Standing beside him, Coach Oomi holds the folded uniforms in his arms. 

“‘Kay then, number 1, and Inarizaki’s new Cap’n…” Coach Kurosu trails off as he chuckles. “Atsumu.” 

“H-Huh?” Atsumu stutters out as he blinks in surprise, taken aback as slowly stands up and walks up to the coaches to retrieve his uniform, slightly dazed as Coach Oomi hands it to him. 

“Yer our Cap’n now, Atsumu.” Coach Kurosu smiles as Atsumu blankly looks at the uniform in his hands. “I trust ya. Make us proud.” 

Atsumu’s hands tremble slightly as he grips the uniform, holding it up as if he isn’t convinced it’s real. Letting out a shaky breath, Atsumu turns to the rest of the team as he quickly bows. 

“I… I won’t letcha down!” 

“I’d be worried if you were planning to.” Takahama snickers as the third years let out a laugh. 

“Alright Captain, you can sit down now.” Suna jokes as he smirks. 

“Yeah, c’mon Captain, why are’ya holdin’ us up?” Osamu chuckles. 

“S-Shut it you guys!” Atsumu groans as he rolls his eyes, before turning back to look at the uniform in his hands as he tentatively goes to sit back down beside Osamu, still holding onto it as he stares at the number 1. 

_‘Kita-san was holdin’ this last year.’_ Atsumu thinks to himself as he stares at the uniform. _‘Didn’t he cry? Am I gonna cry? Am I the right choice?’_

Blinking a few times, Atsumu shakes his head. 

_‘Yeah, I am. I worked hard for this. I deserve this.’_

“Next up, number 2, Osamu~” Coach Kurosu calls as Osamu quickly gets up. 

“Yes sir.” He nods as he heads over and retrieves his uniform from the coaches. Sitting back down, Osamu glances over to Atsumu, who’s still staring at his uniform. “Oi, are’ya just gonna stare at it forever?” 

“Shut it! You lose again ‘Samu! I’m still ahead of ya!” 

“They’re just numbers.” Y/N deadpans. “Yer not ahead of anyone.” 

“Well… whatever!” 

“And number 3, Suna!” 

“Yes sir.” Suna mutters nonchalantly as he stands up to get his uniform, bowing slightly to the coaches before sitting down again. 

“Next up, number 4, Gin~” 

“Yes sir!” Ginjima calls as he quickly stands up and walks over to the coaches, accepting his uniform as they hand it to him. 

“You work hard, Gin. Yer vital for the team, I hope you know that.” Coach Kurosu says as Ginjima blinks in surprise, taken aback from the statement before nodding slightly. 

“Thank you, sir.” Ginjima bows quickly before turning and sitting down beside Suna again. 

“And number 5, Kosaku!” 

“Alright!” 

Riseki shifts nervously as he holds his hands together, mentally praying that his name will get called. He promised himself that he’d get to stand on the court again, but of course that all boils down to this moment. 

Taking a few deep breaths, Riseki tries to regulate his breathing and calm his nerves as the coaches continue calling out the names and numbers. 

“Next up, number 8, Heisuke!” 

“Y-Yes sir!” Riseki stutters out as he abruptly stands up, robotically walking up to the coaches as everyone watches in mild concern. 

_‘Is he okay…?’_

Riseki stumbles over his own foot before regaining his footing, standing up extra straight as if to pretend that nothing happened. Retrieving his uniform, Riseki stares at it in awe as he holds onto it tightly. 

“T-Thank you for this opportunity… I’ll work hard!” 

Coach Kurosu smiles as he pats his shoulder. “I look forward to it.” 

Walking back, Riseki sits down on the floor again as he clutches onto his uniform tightly, smiling excitedly as he holds it. _‘I’m gonna play more matches…!’_

“‘Kay then, number 9, Otsuka!” 

“Yes sir!” Otsuka calls as he stands up to retrieve the uniform. 

Y/N glances over to look at the remaining first and second years without the uniform. Of course, some of them won’t get the privilege of owning a uniform, but she hopes it won’t discourage them. It truly is hard to make it on a powerhouse team. 

“Next up, number 11, Inuhiko!” Coach Kurosu calls as Takahama grins. 

“Alright!” He cheers as he jumps up, quickly walking over to the coaches as he gets his uniform. “Man I getta wear the same number as Osu-san last year! That’s so cool!” 

“Yep, number 11 is worn by the player that causes the most trouble for our setter.” Coach Kurosu jokes as Takahama’s eyes start to sparkle. 

“Damn! It’s an honour! I can’t wait to cause more trouble for him!” 

“Looks like ya got yer work cut out for ya, Captain.” Y/N snickers as Atsumu groans and holds his head in his hands. 

“I… caused a lot of trouble for Aran-kun and our senpais…” Atsumu mutters tiredly as he sighs. “I think I’m payin’ the price now…” 

“Ohh I’m gonna enjoy this.” Osamu mutters quietly as Suna smirks. 

“Me too~” 

_‘Me three.’_ Ginjima thinks in his head, not wanting to say it out loud. “C’mon guys… Don’t joke around like that.” 

“Oh we’re not joking. We’re being serious.” 

“Oh.” 

“And now for our two liberos.” Coach Kurosu continues. “Number 15, Kyoku!” 

“Right!”

* * *

“So how are’ya feeling?” Y/N asks as she smiles. 

“Whaddya mean?” Atsumu asks as they continue packing up the gym together. 

“Y’know, how are’ya feeling, Cap’n.” Y/N repeats as Atsumu blinks in surprise. 

“I… I don’t know?” Atsumu mutters as he tilts his head to the side in thought, trying to think about how he feels. “Good? Happy? Like I’m the best?” 

“I like all those answers except the last one.” Y/N deadpans as she chuckles. “I don’t know, I kinda expected ya to be more emotional or somethin’.” 

Atsumu blinks in surprise as he shakes his head. “Nah… Maybe I just haven’t really processed it, but I kinda feel… normal.” 

Y/N watches Atsumu carefully as he takes his uniform out and holds it in front of him, looking at the number 1 written on it. 

“I kinda just feel like… I got somethin’ I worked hard for… It’s not like it’s somethin’ I got coz of chance or luck, y’know?” Atsumu mutters quietly, unable to take his eyes off his uniform as he continues to stare at it. “I worked hard, nothing’s really changed, so I feel kinda… normal.” 

Pausing for a few moments, Y/N smiles as she breathes out a laugh, grabbing Atsumu’s arm as she drags him down the gym. “Alright then normal Cap’n, let’s keep packin’ up.” 

“Oi! Don’t call me that!” Atsumu groans as she laughs. “And stop laughin’ at me!” 

“Don’t tell me what to do!” 

Atsumu huffs and rolls his eyes, before breaking out into a laugh as well. 

He’s different from Kita, but he’ll be a great captain all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe so what do you guys think 🤩🤩 So many exciting things happeninggg~
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it~ I have been thinking about the new first year Takahama Inuhiko for like 4 months now and I'm glad I can finally introduce him XD 
> 
> If you're wondering, his name is derived from the Crab-eating fox (also known as the forest fox, wood fox, maikong, etc). If you don't know, Furudate derived all the Inarizaki members names from different breeds of foxes (all except the twins), so I wanted to do something similar for the new first year. (I did the same for Kyoku who's name is based off of the Arctic fox) And let me tell you... it's _hard_ to find different breeds of animals in a different language... Why do I do this to myself... _*head in hands*_
> 
> Anyway! I had a few people over the past few weeks ask me to write an Osamu fic so I don't think I did a good job advertising it but... I already have an Osamu fic published... You can read it from my account... XD
> 
> Also~ if you follow my art accounts, you'd know that I currently have my first artbook out for preorder! 🤩 I worked very hard on it and if you want to know more about it, you can just check out this link here: [COSMOS Artbook](https://www.universebunny.com/shop-all/cosmos)
> 
> That being said! The Iizuna fic is basically confirmed to be published since I legit can't stop thinking about it XD I have a lot of notes already written for it and I'm still merging and creating new thoughts but it'll probs be published within the next few weeks OuO It'll be chaptered and follow EJP Raijin, but I kind of feel like I need to warn you... It's tagged as angst. It's not _super_ heavy angst (depending on your tolerance I guess), but uhhh there are quite a few sad moments :D Overall, I still consider it slice of life like this fic though, so yeah! :D I'm actually super excited to write it because I legit already think it's amazing and I'm super proud of it XD So I hope you like it as well if you decide to read! OuO
> 
> Anyway! Thankyou for reading this chapter! :D And wow we broke 50 chapters... It's crazy how you guys have all stayed for this long :')) I really appreciate all the support!
> 
> ~~~  
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	52. Room to Grow

“Osamu! Nice serve!” 

Osamu stares boredly at their opponents as he starts mentally counting, only to space out for a few seconds and lose count, forgetting how many seconds had gone by. Sighing internally, he tosses the ball into the air as he sends it over. 

“Got it!” 

Bumping it up, the opposing team’s setter tosses the ball as Inarizaki’s blockers watch him carefully. In his peripheral vision, Takahama spots their best point getter running up to spike as he shifts his weight towards him. 

Having predicted correctly, Takahama and Atsumu run over as they jump up to block the spike. Managing to shut it down. 

_FWEET!_

The players pant tiredly as they try regulate their breathing, having finished the match. 

“Whatcha thinkin’?” Coach Kurosu asks as he glances at Y/N, who’s still staring at the court. 

“…He shifted his weight and positioned his leg…” Y/N mutters as Coach Kurosu smirks. 

“Indeed he did~” 

“That’s a high level play that’s usually overlooked and goes unnoticed…” Y/N mutters as she sighs. “I’ve seen Hirugami-san do it but you’d never notice unless you were looking for it. Takahama must watch a lot of middle blockers play.” 

Coach Kurosu chuckles as he nods. “He’s kinda like Atsumu in that sense, always lookin’ for things to try out. I bet he’s gonna try do Suna’s spike soon enough but…” 

“He’s gonna snap his back.” Y/N deadpans as the players line up and bow. 

“Thank you for the match!” 

Packing up from the practise match, Y/N sighs tiredly from the long day, she feels so young but so old at the same time. Arranging practises with college teams is also much more tiring than high school teams, but they’re the best option for Inarizaki, especially when they’re staying in Hyogo at the moment. 

“Y/N-paisen! What didja think??” Takahama asks excitedly as runs up to her. 

“I think you played well, yer really fitting in with the team.” Y/N chuckles as his eyes start sparkling. “Umm… about yer footwork…” 

“Oi! Takkun! Yer meant to be helpin’ me put the nets away!” Atsumu calls as Takahama ignores him, irritating Atsumu. “TAKAHAMA!!!” 

“Uhhh are’ya gonna help him or…?” Y/N asks as Takahama smiles cheerfully, ignoring Atsumu who’s taking deep breaths in the background and trying to calm himself. 

“Help who? I can’t see anyone below my line of sight!” 

“Wait, doesn’t that include me?” Y/N deadpans as Takahama pauses and blinks a few times, trying to think. 

“Nope!” He exclaims before laughing nervously and heading over to help Atsumu pack up like he’s supposed to, causing Y/N to sweat drop. Instead of telling him off, Atsumu holds his tongue as he silently takes the nets down. 

_‘Why are they like this…’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she sighs tiredly. 

“Don’t sigh, the room will get stinky.” Suna says as he appears behind her. 

“I’d say the same for you, but in your case it’s just breathing. So stop breathing.” 

“Hmm… Nah.” Suna shrugs lazily. “I don’t like following instructions.” 

“I’m aware.” Y/N deadpans. “Any thoughts on Takahama?” 

“Kid’s nice, everyone’s going to be so annoyed by him and I like that.” Suna comments as Y/N smirks. 

“I was more askin’ about his blocking skills but I do agree with what you’re saying.” 

“Oh? You find him annoying?” 

“Nah, not to me.” Y/N chuckles as the slowly turn to look at Atsumu who’s huffing indignantly as he approaches them. “But…” 

“He’s so annoying…!” Atsumu groans as Y/N and Suna try to hide their smirks. “I’m his senpai! He should show me respect!” 

“Didja ever show your senpais respect, ‘Tsumu?” Osamu asks, walking up to them from the side. 

Atsumu remains silent as he stares at the floor. 

“I don’t find him annoying at all, how about you Y/N?” Suna asks as Y/N smiles innocently. 

“I don’t find him annoyin’ at all either, in fact, I find him quite nice to be around.” 

“Wow, same.” Osamu agrees. “It’s almost as if only ‘Tsumu has a problem with him, I’m not sure why though.” 

“Osamu please, ‘Atsumu’ and ‘problem’ are words that always fit together in a sentence, it was bound to happen.” Y/N sighs as all three of them nod solemnly. Having enough, Atsumu tiredly looks off into the distance as he has flashbacks of all the childish things he’s done in the previous years. 

_‘I know it’s late now, but… I’m sorry, Aran-kun. I understand now.’_

“Speaking of Aran-kun.” Osamu begins as Y/N and Suna look at him in confusion. 

“We never spoke of him?” 

“‘Tsumu’s thoughts.” Osamu waves off dismissively. “Apparently he’s officially a member of Tachibana Red Falcons now, they added his profile to their website yesterday.” 

“Ohh so he ended up choosing Red Falcons huh?” Y/N mutters in thought. “How many teams did he get scouted for?” 

“Dunno, a lot?” Osamu shrugs. “But yeah, a lot of the teams are startin’ to put up the profiles of the new players, it’s scouting season I suppose.” 

“Ahh scouting season, that’s lovely.” Suna sighs wistfully as they glance at him. 

“Missing home?” 

“Nah not really, I just wanted to be dramatic.” 

“Well can you guys be dramatic in yer break time? We still hafta pack up.” Coach Kurosu deadpans as he approaches them. “Actually I needa talk to ya, Y/N, but you boys needa go pack up. And Atsumu! Stop staring off into the distance!” 

“I’m apologisin’ to Aran-kun. I hope he can hear me.” Atsumu mumbles quietly in a daze as Coach Kurosu facepalms. 

“WAH-CHOO!” Ojiro sneezes as his teammate flinches in surprise. 

“Bless you! Are you okay? You haven’t caught a cold, have you?” 

“What? One sneeze and you’re worried I caught a cold? What is this, an episode of _Sazae-san_?” Ojiro laughs as his teammate blinks in surprise. 

“Um… huh?” 

“C’mon, you know how it goes in _Sazae-san_ , right?” Ojiro asks. “Namihei sneezes even once and Fune is always like, ‘What, have you caught a cold? Why don’t you take the day off work.’” 

“Oh. Really…? Sorry, I never watched much of that old show…” His teammate trails off sheepishly. 

“Ah. Okay. Never you mind, then. It was nothin’…” Ojiro trails off awkwardly as he smiles at the floor. _‘Damn… kinda starting to miss the twins…’_

* * *

Quietly sitting at her desk, Y/N finds herself researching into bird migration, having somehow gotten to this point despite originally researching about acid rain for her assignment. She has no idea how she got to this topic, but she can’t stop researching irrelevant things. 

Just as she’s about to research about the bird wildlife in Australia, she gets a notification that snaps her out of her thoughts, quickly opening up her messages. 

_‘Call?’_

‘Sure.’ Y/N responds as she closes 14 tabs about birds. 

Accepting the video call, Y/N blinks in surprise as she sees Sakusa’s face, most people would think he looks the same but she can tell that he’s excited about something from the way that he’s sparkling slightly. 

“So… why’dja wanna talk?” Y/N asks slowly as Sakusa feigns disinterest. 

“I heard that Ojiro Aran got scouted and is now an official member of Tachibana Red Falcons.” Sakusa starts as Y/N nods slowly. 

“Yes… that is true…” Y/N trails off. “A lot of the teams are announcing their new members at the moment…” 

“Yeah they are.” Sakusa nods in agreement as he looks at her expectantly, causing Y/N to mentally facepalm when she realises. 

_‘Oh, he wants me to ask about-’_

_‘Don’t ask about Ushiwaka!’_ Komori silently mouths as he suddenly pops up from behind Sakusa, shaking his head and indicating an ‘X’ with his arms. _‘Don’t ask about him!’_

“Komori, what are you doing?” Sakusa asks as Komori sheepishly laughs. 

“Nothing nothing! Can’t I talk to L/N-chan too?” 

“No.” “Sure.” 

“Thanks L/N-chan!” Komori cheers as Sakusa sighs tiredly, moving aside as Komori rolls his chair up beside him. “Speaking of being scouted, Iizuna-” 

“Wakatoshi-kun got scouted by Schweiden Adlers.” Sakusa interrupts as Komori groans. “They announced him as a member this morning.” 

“Yeah I know right, Iizuna-san is so cool for making it into DESEO Hornets.” Komori adds cheerfully as he and Sakusa glare at each other. “Isn’t that right _Kiyoomi_.” 

“Yes it is, _Motoya_.” 

“Aran is the coolest, _Y/N_.” Y/N pipes up as they glance at her. “Do you guys hafta be so competitive about literally everything?” 

“He’s Itachiyama’s captain! He should be more excited about Itachiyama alumni rather than Shiratorizawa alumni!” Komori insists. “I bet Iizuna-san’s crying in his sleep knowing his kouhai doesn’t even care about him!” 

“There aren’t many people I care about much anyway.” Sakusa deadpans. “And I’m your captain, shouldn’t you agree with everything I say?” 

“Huh?? That’s not how it works??” 

“Imagine having to agree with everything your captain says…” Y/N mutters as Sakusa and Komori pause slightly. 

“I suppose that doesn’t work, I apologise.” Sakusa mutters as Komori laughs. 

“Captain Sakusa versus Captain Miya, that’d be very entertaining to see.” Komori chuckles. “I bet Miya’s already trying to come up with things to get on Sakusa’s nerves, it’s going to be so much fun, right _Kiyoomi_?” 

“No.” 

Y/N shakes her head in amusement. “Atsumu actually doesn’t know yet, I haven’t told him about Sakusa bein’ captain.” 

“He hasn’t asked?” Komori tilts his head in surprise. 

“Well, he’s been…” Y/N trails off as she has flashbacks of Takahama causing trouble for Atsumu. “…Pretty busy lately. But he’ll find out soon enough.” 

“Ohh?? You guys coming to Tokyo soon??” Komori asks in excitement as Sakusa perks up. 

“If your management team agrees, then yeah.” Y/N chuckles. “Coach Kurosu asked me to arrange a practise match up in Tokyo with you guys, if it’s accepted and everything goes well, I’ll probably arrange one with Fukurodani as well since we’ll already in the area.” 

“Ohh that’s so exciting! Can’t wait for you guys to come!” Komori cheers as Sakusa nods. “Sakusa told me about your first year so I’m really excited to play against him! We also got really great first years, didn’t we Sakusa?” 

“I guess.” 

“Lots of skilled players attend Itachiyama, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Y/N chuckles. “I heard ya got a skilled setter and a few other skilled players.” 

“Wait, how’d you- Oh.” Komori deadpans. “Sakusa told you already, didn’t he.” 

“Yep, _‘Different to Miya but definitely more likeable’_.” Y/N quotes as she smiles. “Hopefully we get a chance to play against you guys this time, that’d be nice~” 

“Yeah, don’t lose until you verse us.” Sakusa smirks competitively as Y/N laughs. 

“We don’t plan on losing at all.” 

“I see I am invisible once again.” Komori mutters to himself. “Komori who?” 

* * *

“We’re goin’ to Tokyo??” 

Y/N sweat drops as she slowly enters the gym. “What makes you think that, Atsumu?” 

“Suna told me.” Atsumu waves off dismissively. “So we’re actually going?” 

“Soon, yeah.” Y/N sighs as she turns to Suna with dead eyes. “How’d you find out?” 

“Komori.” 

“Ah.” 

“Word spreads fast I suppose, since everyone seems to know everyone.” Osamu comments as he sighs. “Tokyo for Itachiyama huh? And I’m guessin’ we’ll stop by Fukurodani as well?” 

“Yep~ Just like last year.” Y/N chimes as he nods along. 

“Argh… we always go to Tokyo.” Atsumu mutters as they glance over to him. 

“You don’t wanna go to Tokyo? Usually yer really excited to verse Itachiyama.” Ginjima comments. 

“I still wanna play against Itachiyama but like…” Atsumu trails off as he averts eye contact. “…I wanna go to Miyagi for a change.” 

The other four third years glance at each other before turning back to Atsumu. “Why?” 

“Coz… Coz Karasuno’s there!” Atsumu whines. “I wanna verse Karasuno again! Lemme crush Tobio-kun and Shouyou-kun! Let’s go to Miyagi!” 

“No.” Y/N deadpans. “Travelling all the way to Tokyo is one thing, but travelling _all_ the way to Miyagi? No thanks, only Shiratorizawa’s crazy enough to travel that far.” 

“Yeah, just wait to verse ‘em at Interhigh.” Osamu deadpans. “You’ll live.” 

“Argh… whatever.” Atsumu mutters in defeat as Ginjima pats his back in attempts to comfort him. He suddenly stops sulking as he straightens up and pretends he wasn’t whining earlier. “Let’s… Let’s get to practise! To the gym!!” 

“We _are_ in the gym.” Suna deadpans. 

“…To the court!!” Atsumu corrects himself as he starts pushing Suna to the courts. “C’mon! We needa start with practise! No time to waste!” 

“Looks like we got space to waste though!” Takahama cheerfully pipes up as he enters the gym. 

“T-Takahama-! H-He’s a senpai…!” Riseki mutters in distraught as panics and nervously glances at Atsumu, who’s keeping oddly quiet. 

Takahama smiles innocently as he turns to Riseki. “Hm? But I never mentioned anythin’ about Atsumu-paisen our dearest captain bein’ a waste of space! Why bring him up Heisuke-san? Unless… you secretly think….” 

Riseki immediately starts panicking even more as he shakes his head rapidly. “I… I would never think such a thing about Atsumu-san! Never!” 

“You sure?” Kyoku asks in disbelief until Otsuka elbows him. “I mean! Same I guess.” 

Atsumu doesn’t say anything as he stares off into the distance while Y/N laughs and pats his back. 

“C’mon Atsumu, it’s lowkey weird seeing you get solemn about these things rather than yell.” Y/N chuckles. “Usually yer the kind to fight back.” 

“I can’t do that anymore… I’m the captain…” Atsumu mutters quietly as Y/N sighs and smiles. 

“They really do respect you, y’know? They really do.” Y/N smiles as Atsumu snaps out of his daze and looks at her. “They’re just havin’ a little fun. And y’know Atsumu, just coz yer captain, doesn’t mean you needa change how you act. Obviously I’d prefer if you were a little more mature but that’s besides the point. Point is, you don’t needa try act all serious and cool or hold yerself back from sayin’ what you think, because it really doesn’t suit you.” 

Atsumu pouts at that as she rolls her eyes and smirks. 

“Just be yerself, there’s really no need to change anything.” Y/N ruffles his hair as she grins. “Afterall, Coach gave us all Captain _Atsumu_ , not some other guy.” 

Atsumu blinks in surprise as he looks at her, before smiling slightly and sighing. “Argh… it’s gonna be tough fillin’ in after Kita-san!” 

“Obviously.” 

“Shush! I’m talkin’!” Atsumu puts his hand up and starts fixing his hair. “And ya ruined my hair N/N! Ya ruined it!” 

“Can’t ruin what’s already-” 

“Arghhhh I keep comparin’ myself to Kita-san but I’m not him! I didn’t even know I was bein’ obvious?? How couldja tell I was havin’ an identity crisis??” Atsumu groans as he ruffles his own hair and messes it up even more. “Who even am I?? Since when have I ever worried about this kinda stuff??” 

“Since now.” Suna pipes up as he walks by. 

“Quiet Suna!” Atsumu huffs as he stomps over to the court. “I’m gonna practise my settin’! N/N come help me!” 

“Woah woah woah, I don’t take orders.” Y/N deadpans as Atsumu pauses in his step. 

“…Please?” 

“Now that’s just weird, I literally don’t even know who you are anymore.” Y/N sighs as Atsumu groans. 

“I’m only seventeen and I’m already havin’ an identity crisis!!” 

“Woah, he’s really going through it.” Kyoku comments as Osamu leads the first and second years away from his twin brother. 

“Yeah, you guys don’t needa look at that. Let’s practise on this court.” 

“Is he gonna be okay?” Ginjima asks worriedly as he and Suna watch Atsumu and Y/N. “I guess he’s been actin’ a little different recently but I didn’t really notice much of a change…?” 

“Yeah well, Y/N’s pretty perceptive and there’s a lot of responsibility when becoming captain so…” Suna trails off as Y/N reluctantly tosses the balls into the air for Atsumu. “She was probably paying extra attention because she was worried about him.” 

“Wait, doesn’t that mean you were worried too? Since you noticed this?” 

“…No.” Suna mutters as he turns away. “Anyway, we need to start our drills, Gin.” 

“You were totally worried.” 

“I wasn’t!” 

“Yo N/N~” Atsumu calls as she stops dragging the volleyball cart away. “Before you put that away, can you toss some for me? I wanna fit in some extra practise.” 

“…Thirty-three.” 

“Huh?” 

“I’ll toss the ball for you thirty-three times, after that you hafta help pack up and go home.” Y/N deadpans as Atsumu blinks in confusion. 

“Why thirty-three? Why not round it up to forty or somethin’?” 

“Thirty.” 

“What?? That’s not fair!” 

“Twenty-five.” 

“ARGH fine fine! Just toss the ball!” 

* * *

“Never have I ever… dyed my hair.” Suna says as the twins groan, causing him to smirk. 

“Why do you guys always target me??” Atsumu complains as Osamu rolls his eyes. 

“I’m losing too y’know.” Osamu deadpans. “And it’s yer fault.” 

“Isn’t it always~” Y/N chimes as Atsumu glares at her. Now that they’re on their way to Tokyo, the third years are trying to keep themselves occupied with their usual bus games. “Never have I ever been the captain of a volleyball team.” 

“Oi! That’s too specific!” Atsumu groans as she smiles innocently. 

“You’re just mad that you’re losing~” 

“Duh!” Atsumu huffs as he scowls at them, before getting an idea for his turn. “Never have I ever won a ‘Never have I ever’ game.” 

The other four third years stare at Atsumu for a few moments before sighing. 

“That’s so sad…” 

“Can’t believe he really said that, isn’t he the most prideful person here?” 

“Yeah but his competitivity outweighs his pride.” Y/N sighs as they all nod in agreement. 

“Still though, that was sad.” Suna mutters. “I almost want to give him another turn.” 

“Sure, let’s give it to him.” Ginjima chuckles as Atsumu glares at them. 

“I never win because you four always gang up on me like this!!” 

“So you don’t want the extra turn?” 

“No no! I’m gonna use it!” Atsumu huffs as he thinks to himself, trying to think of something foolproof as he glances around the bus, getting an idea. “Never have I ever… called Ginko-chan by her last name!” 

“…I think you mean you’ve never been polite.” Y/N deadpans as Atsumu rolls his eyes. 

“If anythin’, I think it’s weird that _you’ve_ never called her by her first name. Aren’t you guys in the same class?” Atsumu asks as Y/N shrugs. 

“Just because we’re in the same class doesn’t mean we’re friends.” 

“You’re in the same club too.” 

“So?” Y/N mutters as she sighs. “Kagawa-chan’s nice, but we’re just not on the same wavelength. Sometimes people are nice but you’d never be able to be friends with them, we just don’t fit.” 

“Well to be fair, none of us are really on the same wavelength.” Suna chuckles as Ginjima shakes his head. 

“Nope, wrong. You four are definitely on the same wavelength.” Ginjima deadpans as he sighs tiredly. “It’s hard for me to keep up with you four sometimes too y’know, it’s just hard for anyone to keep up with you guys in general, it’s not Kagawa’s fault.” 

“Oh, it’s definitely not.” Y/N agrees as they all inconspicuously glance behind their shoulder to see Kagawa napping next to Inoue. “Even if it’s not with me, I’m glad she’s friends with other members of the club.” 

“Have you tried getting to know her better?” Ginjima asks as Y/N shakes her head. 

“Nah, I’m not the kind to seek out friendships anyways. I lowkey don’t even know how we all became friends.” Y/N sighs. “Maybe it’s coz you guys would never leave me alone…” 

“You can try be friends with her now y’know.” Osamu shrugs. “You still got time.” 

“Nah. We’re in third year now, it’s too late for that.” Y/N chuckles. “Way too late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!! This chapter took longer than I wanted because I've been drowning in work and I am still drowning but I really tried to write this out XD Hope you like it! OuO
> 
> Quite a few things happening and mentioned~ =w= I'm looking forward to writing the future chapters :))
> 
> Anyway! All that Haikyuu info that dropped in the past few days omg... I have transcended onto a new plane of existence... I am having thoughts... Soon I will make sense of all the thoughts but for now... _*head in hands*_
> 
> ALSO THE NEW EPSIODE OMGGGG!!! KITA-SANNNNN!!!!!!! KASDJHAS HE'S HERE AND IT WAS SO DRAMATIC OMG THEY GAVE HIS ENTRANCE JUSTICE OMG I'M SO EXCITED FOR HIS BACKSTORY TO BE ANIMATED I JUST- _*passes away*_
> 
> Anyway~ I've been super busy and my whole month is legit packed with work :')) I'll of course do my best to fit this fic in so I can post chapters regularly as always =w= I just hope the quality doesn't suffer :')) And even though I've got heaps of work, I'm going to write the Iizuna fic soon because I really want to and I cannot stop thinking about it XD
> 
> I'm on my final wave of assignments so I need to suffer and die a little longer... and then I shall be free.... if it weren't for all my other work... Oh well :'D
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! OuO Even though it'll be difficult for me these coming weeks, I hope you all take care of yourself! Look forward to the next chapter! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	53. Change

_‘It’s funny how quickly things change.’_

“And I thought _our_ team changed a lot…” Osamu whispers as Y/N shrugs. 

“Well it’s only natural.” Y/N mutters back. “Majority of their starting line up were third years.” 

“Thank you for coming to our school, Miya, we really appreciate that you’d travel such a long distance.” 

“No problem, we’re always eager for matches.” Atsumu smirks in response. “I see yer Fukurodani’s new captain, Keiji-kun.” 

“Yes.” Akaashi nods. “Likewise, Miya.” 

“Are’ya likin’ yer new team?” Atsumu asks as Akaashi blinks in surprise. 

“Of course, they are great teammates and hard workers.” 

“Must be really different though, since the people ya usually spent yer time with have all graduated now.” Atsumu comments. 

Akaashi pauses slightly, before nodding. “That’s true, it is very different.” 

“Guess it’s the same for all of us. Let’s have a great match!” Atsumu grins, shaking his hand before heading back to Inarizaki’s side for the practise match to begin. 

From her spot on the bench, Y/N glances to the side as she sees a small crowd forming on the bleachers, it’s only natural for fans to want to see two powerhouse schools practise together. She’s used to this by now. 

“So Yamiji chose Akaashi as Fukurodani’s new captain eh?” Coach Kurosu comments as the practise match begins. “No surprises there.” 

“Mm yeah, especially since he was vice captain even as a second year.” Y/N nods along, watching the match carefully. “He’s really responsible, and lookin’ at Fukurodani now, they have no clear weaknesses and look fairly solid overall.” 

“That’s true~” Coach Kurosu chuckles as Akaashi sends a quick set to Onaga. “But the fact still remains, that they lost some of their most outstanding players.” 

“So did we though.” Y/N sighs. “All teams lost some of their most outstanding players.” 

“That’s also true.” Coach Kurosu chuckles as he shakes his head. “What am I gonna do when you all graduate too?” 

“Weep for days?” Y/N suggests as she smirks. 

“Weepin’ from joy I bet.” 

Y/N lets out a laugh as she shakes her head. “I wouldn’t bet on it.” 

“Osamu, nice serve!” 

Counting down the seconds, Osamu stares over at Fukurodani’s side of the court before tossing the ball into the air and serving it, only for the ball to hit the net. 

_‘Oops.’_

“Net in!” 

“Hnng-!” Stumbling forward, Fukurodani’s #8 manages to barely save the ball. “Sorry! It’s short!” 

“Alright!” Akaashi calls, running after it as he positions himself, quickly analysing the court before tossing a quick set. “Onaga!” 

_‘Left.’_ Takahama thinks to himself, instantly shifting his body weight over and lining up to block the straight. Noticing this, Kyoku shifts over to guard the cross shot as Onaga spikes the ball over. 

“Hmph!” Kyoku puffs his cheeks as he cleanly receives the ball, causing Atsumu to grin. 

“Nice receive!” Atsumu calls, positioning himself as he quickly looks around the court, sending a quick set to Takahama as he spikes it down, scoring the point. 

“Nice kill!” Atsumu cheers as he and Takahama high five. 

“Thanks Tsum-pai! Yer tosses are always so easy to hit!” Takahama exclaims before turning to Kyoku. “And nice receive Kyoku-san! You totally read my mind there!” 

“Ehh more like I read your body language, but thanks?” 

“Yer staring at my body?” 

“Please don’t say it like that.” 

From the bench, Y/N sighs in exasperation as Suna glances over at her. “Atsumu’s such a jerk…” 

Glancing back at the court, Suna nods in agreement. “Well, I know that, but what are you specifically referring to this time?” 

“He totally just copied Akaashi-san there.” Y/N mutters as she sighs again. “He purposely mimicked the attack Akaashi-san tried that didn’t score, and scored with it. Reason 1823 why Atsumu is a jerk.” 

“Damn, there’s only 1823 reasons? I thought there’d be way more.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes as she smirks. “Well, we have another year to keep countin’.” 

“Thank you for the match!” The two teams bow towards each other as they start the pack away the equipment to prepare to leave, having finished their match. 

Collecting the volleyballs into the volleyball cart, Y/N mentally replays some scenes from their practise match with Fukurodani. The synergy between the third years is as solid as ever, all their experience and practise throughout their time together enforces their teamwork despite their differences. The second years and Takahama are also fitting in well, even though there is the occasional communication error and misalignment. 

Overall, although the team is mainly fresh and a little messy, they’ll adapt to each other soon, and she’s confident they’ll perform well at Interhigh prelims. 

Dragging the volleyball cart over to the storage room, Y/N thinks over various strategies and plays they can try out, momentarily getting lost in thought before snapping out of it and glancing around. 

“Thank you for travelling all this way and having a practise match with us.” Akaashi says as he approaches her, causing Y/N to smile slightly as she nods. 

“Thank you for agreein’ to it, we really enjoyed the match.” Y/N responds as he smiles slightly. 

“I’m glad, I hope your Prefectural Qualifiers go well, although I doubt your team would have many issues.” 

“I sure hope we don’t have too many issues.” Y/N chuckles as she shakes her head. “Good luck with yer Prefectural Qualifiers as well, I think you’ll be a great captain.” 

“I hope I will.” Akaashi says quietly. “But I have big shoes to fill.” 

Glancing over to see his wistful expression, Y/N smiles slightly. “I think you’ll lead your team just fine.” 

* * *

“Whatcha thinkin’ 'bout, Gin?” Atsumu asks as he glances over at him. 

“I don’t know? Do I needa be thinkin’ about somethin’?” Ginjima asks in confusion as Atsumu shrugs. 

“I don’t know~” 

“Probably shouldn’t have asked someone that doesn’t think.” Suna pipes up from his seat in front of them, causing Atsumu to gasp in offence. 

“Oi!” 

Rolling his eyes, Ginjima chuckles as he shakes his head. “Well to answer yer question, Atsumu, I don’t know… Guess I’m just kinda thinkin’ about the match.” 

“Oh? About my service ace record? You saw ‘em right? Didja see ‘em??” Atsumu asks excitedly as Ginjima sweat drops. 

“Yes, I saw them… I was there…” 

“Good good~ Just makin’ sure~” Atsumu chuckles to himself. “But anyway, what about the match were ya thinkin’ of?” 

“Ehh, probs just the whole thing in general?” 

“Oh? Really? I thought it was coz you’re still lowkey surprised that yer on the startin’ line up.” Atsumu comments as Ginjima flinches and avoids eye contact. 

“What makes ya think that?” 

Sighing, Atsumu crosses his arms as he turns and scowls at Ginjima. “‘Kay, I know I’m not the _smartest_ person, and I know I’m not _that_ good at understandin’ people, but even I’m gonna pick up somethin’ here and there… I always make sure to pay attention to my spikers y’know.” 

Blinking in surprise, Ginjima smiles awkwardly. “I’m… kind of touched?” 

“Hah? Why?” Atsumu deadpans. “I don’t really understand bein’ insecure to be honest. Like, what are’ya even insecure about? You’ve worked hard, you’ve trained, you have the skills, what d’ya even have to be insecure about? S’not like you weren’t on the startin’ line up last year. I don’t know… I mean, yer a great player Gin, not as great as me obviously but still very good! So I just don’t really get it.” 

Atsumu rubs his chin in thought as Ginjima watches him carefully. “Hmm… Is it coz yer not the biggest point getter on the team? Oh, but ‘Samu wasn’t the biggest point getter last year but he was fine… Hmm…” 

“It’s not that.” Ginjima chuckles lightly as Atsumu nods along, face serious from concentration. 

“‘Kay ‘kay… Ahh I don’t really get it!” Atsumu groans. “Oh well! Point is! Ya don’t have any reasons to be so insecure! Got that??” 

“And suddenly, his doubts vanished, and his insecurities disappeared.” Suna narrates quietly as Ginjima lets out a laugh. 

“Suna, he’s just tryna help.” Ginjima chuckles as Atsumu pouts and turns away. Pausing for a moment, Ginjima thinks over Atsumu’s words as they sit in silence, the hum of the bus and chatter in the background blending in together as he thinks. 

After a few moments of silence, Ginjima glances over at Atsumu again. “Yer really amazin’ y’know, Atsumu.” 

Looking over at him, Atsumu nods. “Yeah I know that, everyone knows that. I’m just tryna figure out how to get you to realise that yer pretty amazin’ too.” 

From her seat behind them, Y/N clutches her heart as she lets out an inaudible pained wheeze, causing Riseki to flinch as he looks at her worriedly. 

“L/N-senpai, are’ya okay??” Riseki whispers quietly as he awkwardly moves around, not knowing what’s wrong. 

“I will never be okay.” Y/N mutters quietly as Riseki gets even more concerned. 

“I-Is there anythin’ I can do to help??” 

“No… it’s okay Riseki-kun…” Y/N smiles slightly as she turns her gaze to the ground. “It’s just… he’s already becomin’ a great captain…” 

Blinking in surprise, Riseki glances back and forth between Atsumu and Y/N, slightly confused but doing his best to understand. “Uhhh… yeah! I think so too!” 

* * *

Y/N lazily scrolls through her phone as she lies on the floor, sighing from boredom as she turns it off and glances at the other third years. “Why are’ya all so lazy?” 

“We just had a match.” Suna deadpans from his bed, grabbing his pillow and throwing it at her as she sighs. “We’re tired, we don’t wanna go out.” 

“Yer tired but you still had the energy to throw yer pillow at me.” Y/N deadpans as Suna gives her a thumbs up, irritating her slightly as she groans. “Last year, Atsumu and Osamu went with me to Akihabara, but they don’t wanna go out this year…” 

“Why d’ya wanna go out so badly?” Osamu asks boredly as he looks over at her from his bed. 

“I wanna go sight seein’ coz I needa get inspiration for a new art project I have in mind! But it’s too dangerous to travel around Tokyo alone!” 

“Why not ask the first or second years then?” Ginjima suggests as she pauses slightly. 

“Y’know Hitoshi, that’s a great idea. But the floor is really comfortable right now, so…” 

“And she complains that we’re lazy.” Atsumu deadpans as Y/N rolls her eyes. 

“Why didn’tcha wanna go out, Atsumu? Usually yer really excited to explore places with me.” Y/N asks as she looks over to him curiously. 

“That’s coz I have somethin’ important to do…” Atsumu says seriously. 

“Yer literally just sittin’ on yer bed doin’ nothing.” 

“I’m not doin’ nothing! I’m thinkin’!” Atsumu huffs as he crosses his arms indignantly. “Thinkin’ of important things y’know, for the team!” 

“You know how to think?” Suna asks. 

“Can ‘Tsumu even differentiate between important and unimportant things?” Osamu questions. 

“What are’ya thinkin’ about, Atsumu?” Ginjima asks. 

“Thanks Gin! I knew I could trust ya!” Atsumu declares as he glares at Suna and Osamu. “As for what I’m thinkin’ about… We’re goin’ to Itachiyama tomorrow, right?” 

“Yeah? I’m glad yer aware?” Y/N mutters as Atsumu shushes her. 

“And… Sakusa’s the captain, isn’t he?” 

“Maybe.” Y/N shrugs as Atsumu scowls at her. 

“Maybe if ya told me then I’d know for sure!” Atsumu groans as she smirks slightly. “But anyway, _assumin’_ that he’s the captain, that makes us rivals!” 

“Aren’tcha already rivals?” 

“More rivals! Rival rivals! Umm… double rivals?” Atsumu trails off, having confused himself, before shaking his head. “Anyway! Point is, we’re rivals and I needa challenge him in some way!” 

“How about you beat him in a match?” Suna boredly suggests. 

“I’m already gonna do that! Just you wait!” Atsumu declares loudly as they internally sigh. “But I mean, I need a power move, y’know? Establish dominance! Have somethin’ against him!” 

“So basically, you wanna annoy him.” Osamu deadpans as Atsumu groans. 

“Not annoy! Just show him who’s boss!” 

“We have a boss?” 

“Shut it!!” 

Ginjima sighs in exasperation. “Alright Atsumu, what kind of things are’ya plannin’ or thinkin’ of?” 

“Hmm… I don’t know, that’s why I’m tryna think! Maybe give him a nickname or somethin’??” 

“Name calling? How old are you?” Osamu deadpans as Y/N smirks slightly. 

“He’s the same age as you, Osamu.” 

Ignoring all of them, Atsumu mutters under his breath as he tries to think of various nicknames to annoy Sakusa. “Saku… Sakkun? Nah… Kiyo… Kusa! Kuso? Yoomi… Omi? Omi-omi?” 

“Why’s he taking this so seriously?” Suna whispers as the rest of them shrug. 

“Sometimes, it’s just better not to question him.” Ginjima sighs tiredly as Y/N nods solemnly. 

“Do you guys have any suggestions for power moves??” Atsumu asks loudly as they all flinch and groan. 

“Seriously??” 

“Yes! This is a serious team meetin’! As captain I want all yer input!” 

“Argh, he pulled the captain card.” Suna mutters in distaste, as Y/N rolls over and slowly stands up. 

“I’d _love_ to help you, Atsumu.” Y/N says with faux sincerity. “But I think I’ll take Hitoshi’s idea and ask the second years if any of them wanna go to the city with me. So… bye!” 

Y/N instantly walks out the door and closes it, not wanting to engage in whatever discussion Atsumu is about to start. Sighing tiredly to herself, Y/N makes her way over to the second year’s room to ask if any of them want to look around the city. 

“Whoa! That’s so cool!” Otsuka gasps as he and Kyoku look around excitedly. “The streets are so busy and there’s so many stores!” 

“All the food looks great…! I’m gettin’ hungry!” Kyoku exclaims, starry eyed as Y/N chuckles. 

“It really looks great, doesn’t it?” Y/N laughs. “We can’t eat though, we’re gonna hafta get back to have dinner with everyone, so we’re gonna hafta refrain from eatin’ out here, even though it all looks amazin’.” 

Otsuka and Kyoku sigh sadly as Riseki chuckles nervously, causing Y/N to sigh as she smiles. 

“But… I guess a small snack can’t hurt.” Y/N mutters as they suddenly turn around and smile brightly at her, causing her to laugh. “How ‘bout I treat ya all to crepes?” 

“L-L/N-senpai!” 

Looking around the city and seeing the huge crowds everywhere, Y/N chuckles to herself as she shakes her head. “Y’know, it’d be so easy to get lost out here.” 

“Yeah, it’s so crowded.” Kyoku nods along seriously. “Good thing we have Riseki with us.” 

“Huh? What about me?” Riseki asks, confused as Otsuka grins and pats him on the back. 

“Our skyscraper. Yer like a beacon! Yer height sticks out like a sore thumb so even if we got separated we’d all be able to find you!” 

“H-Huh? Do I stick out that much??” Riseki asks worriedly, trying to lower his head slightly as to not draw too much attention as Otsuka laughs. 

“Don’t worry about it~ Yer height’s great!” Otsuka encourages as Riseki smiles bashfully. 

“Yeah, if you wanna donate some then I’m more than willing to get some of yer height.” Kyoku jokes as Riseki chuckles. 

“If I ever figure out how to donate height, I’ll give some to you first Kyoku.” 

“Wow not me? I’m offended.” Y/N says sarcastically as she smirks, causing Riseki to panic slightly. 

“U-Um! You’ll be one of my first choices too!” Riseki insists as she laughs and shakes her head. 

“I’m just jokin’ Riseki-kun, there’s no need for that~” Y/N smiles before taking her phone out to check the time. “Anyways, we probably needa catch the next shinkansen or Coach will panic and think he lost four kids. So let’s go.” 

“Alright!” They exclaim as Y/N smiles and starts heading over to the railway station, the three second years trailing after her as she shows them the way. 

* * *

_「 Itachiyama Academy 」_

Standing in front of the Itachiyama gates, Y/N breathes out as she looks up at the school in awe. No matter how many times she comes here, she’s always taken aback by the sheer size of the school. 

“Ohh you all made it!” Komori grins as he walks up to them. “I thought I’d meet you all at the gate and walk you back to our gym, nice to see you guys again!” 

“You seem to be doin’ well, Komori~” Atsumu chimes as they start walking over to Itachiyama’s gym, causing Komori to let out a chuckle. 

“Thanks, you seem to be doing well too, Miya.” Komori smiles as he glances over his shoulder and waves. “Nice to see you again too, L/N-chan! Suna!” 

“Likewise.” Y/N smiles as they enter Itachiyama’s gym, bowing slightly. 

“Thank you for havin’ us!” They chorus as they head over to the court they’re directed to while Atsumu approaches Sakusa. 

“I see yer the captain as well.” Atsumu states as Sakusa scowls at him. “Hey don’t look at me like that! It’s true that we’re both captains now!” 

“Yeah.” Sakusa deadpans, not looking at Atsumu as he glances around the gym. 

“Well, good luck in the match today.” Atsumu says, extending his hand for a handshake. “Omi-kun.” 

“ _What._ ” Sakusa recoils in disgust as Atsumu grins to himself and skips back over to the Inarizaki team, feeling like he’d won somehow. 

“Why are’ya smilin’ like that, Tsum-pai? It’s creepy.” Takahama asks curiously as Atsumu smirks and puffs up his chest smugly. 

“I won.” 

“Won what? The worst hair in the room award?” 

“W-What?? Takkun! My hair’s nice though!” Atsumu insists as Takahama rubs his chin and analyses Atsumu’s hair seriously. 

“Hmm… but you can’t even see yer hair! How do you even know what it looks like?” 

“I look in mirrors Takkun!” 

“You carry mirrors around to look at yer hair?” 

“No!” 

“Then how d’ya know yer hair looks nice?” 

“D-Does it not look nice??” 

“Hmm…” 

“Takkun!” 

Stretching to warm up his body, Kyoku notices a stray volleyball bounce over to him as he quickly shifts over to catch it, looking around to see where it came from. 

“Ah sorry about that!” Komori calls as he approaches Kyoku, who instantly tenses up around the other libero. “Hm? Oh! You must be Inarizaki’s new starting libero!” 

Kyoku nods rapidly as he continues staring at Komori, still awestruck. 

“Nice! I’m looking forward to our match! I’m Komori Motoya by the way!” Komori grins as he introduces himself. 

“I’m a big fan!” Kyoku blurts out before proceeding to internally scream. “I mean I’m Kyoku Itsuki! Nice to meet you Komori-sAN!” 

Kyoku bows as Komori blinks in surprise before letting out a laugh. “Nice to meet you too, Kyoku-kun! I can’t wait to play against you!” 

_‘Is this how libero friendships form?’_ Y/N asks herself as she watches the exchange. _‘…I think Kyoku’s gonna pass out.’_

“The bond between two liberos… is so beautiful.” Suna mutters beside her as she rolls her eyes. “Have you ever seen a friendship so pure?” 

“Can’t see friendships if I don’t have friends~” Y/N chimes as Suna gasps in offence. 

“Woah woah! Am I a stranger to you??” 

“Depends on the day~” Y/N chuckles as Suna huffs and rolls his eyes, pretending not to look too excited when he sees her walk up to Sakusa. “I’m sorry about Atsumu, he chooses to be annoyin’.” 

“I’m aware…” Sakusa mutters under his breath as he sighs. “It’s good to see you again, L/N.” 

“Good to see you too, Sakusa.” Y/N smiles in response. “Well, I’d love to talk more but we hafta get ready for the practise match. Good luck! Hope you lose!” 

Sakusa smiles slightly at that. “Hope you lose too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE!! (Or am I)
> 
> Thankyou so much for waiting patiently for this update TT^TT Life just got too hectic and busy and I had to focus on my other commitments :')) I want to say I spent the time taking care of myself but haha... :D I spent the time dedicating myself to my work and even still I am drowning 💖
> 
> I'm finished with university for the year and I'm hoping it went well but haha one of my teachers has disappeared off the face of the earth and has not graded any of my assignments for 3 months now 💖💖 Haha thankyou sir I'm glad you are taking your time 💖 Okay but seriously I emailed him a month ago asking when he was going to grade our stuff and he said "In a couple days! :D" and then I emailed him 3 weeks after the initial "couple days" and he is not responding 💖 This is the only class where my grades are so ambiguous haha I will be very mad if I fail 💖
> 
> Anywayyy I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I understand it was a long wait so does anyone even remember what happened previously XDD I hope you enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to writing the future chapters OuO
> 
> Also! I mentioned my Iizuna fic before and the prologue has officially been published! You can read it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/67409428).
> 
> I'm extremely proud of the fic and super excited to write it all omg I really hope you read it just because I'm so proud of it XD
> 
> Speaking of projects, I have another huge one coming very soon! (If you follow me on instagram or twitter you will know XD) So I shall be working hard on that! Thankyou so much for reading and remember to take care of yourself! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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	54. Synergy

“Give us a nice serve, Atsumu!” 

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu concentrates as he tosses the ball into the air and sends a powerful spike serve over. 

“Hmph!” Komori grunts as he receives the ball, absorbing the power as the ball gets sent to their setter. “Yamazaki!” 

“Got it!” 

_‘Yamazaki huh?’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she watches Itachiyama’s first year setter carefully. _‘Wonder how good he is…’_

“He was fairly well known in middle school as a setter.” Coach Kurosu says as she glances at him. “Very solid and stable, but he’s not the kind to make flashy plays or take crazy risks. I did watch a few of his matches, but I didn’t scout him to join Inarizaki, didn’t think he’d fit.” 

“Ah I see.” Y/N nods along as she continues watching. 

Y/N watches as Yamazaki cleanly tosses to Sakusa, briefly glancing to the side for a split second as she sees Atsumu visibly get excited at the toss before Sakusa slams the ball down onto their court. 

_Itachiyama – Inarizaki Practise Match – First Set_  
_Itachiyama [01 – 00] Inarizaki_

“That was so clean…!” Atsumu gasps quietly as he grins. “So cool…!” 

“They just ended your serve on the first one.” Osamu deadpans. “Not a good look for you, Cap’n.” 

“Shut it! Komori’s just bein’ annoyin’ like always!” 

“Yeah, he’s stealin’ yer title.” 

“What didja say??” 

“Maybe we should focus on the fact that their setter’s about to serve now??” Ginjima groans as Atsumu and Osamu promptly shut up and get into receiving stances. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Yamazaki jumps up as he sends his serve over. 

_‘Ohh float serve!’_ Kyoku thinks to himself as he watches the ball, positioning himself with an overhand. _‘Good thing I’ve been training with Atsumu-san all this time.’_

Shifting over, Kyoku bumps the ball up as the rally begins. 

“Nice receive!” “Atsumu!” 

“Hup!” Atsumu sends a quick set over to Osamu as he spikes it down, only for Komori to dig it up. “AHH!” 

Komori grins in response as Atsumu glares at him, moving out of the way so Yamazaki can set the ball. 

“Nanase-san!” 

Osamu and Suna run over and jump to block the spike as Nanase tries to avoid their block, hitting it out. 

_Itachiyama [01 – 01] Inarizaki_

“Ahh sorry about that!” Nanase groans while Atsumu continues glaring at Komori. Noticing his glare, Komori smiles cheekily in response. 

“Sending a quick set to your brother right off the bat? You’re becoming predictable, Miya.” 

“HAH?!” 

“Atsumu calm down!” 

“Hmph!” Atsumu turns away and stomps over as they rotate for Ginjima’s serve, glaring at the air. “Just you wait…! I’m gonna dump the ball over his head…!” 

“Aren’t you both in the back row at the moment? How’s that going to work?” Suna deadpans. 

“I’ll find a way!” 

Sighing to herself, Y/N glances to the side as she sees Takahama in the reserves section looking restless, fidgeting around as the other reserves sweat drop. “What is it, Takahama?” 

“I wanna get on the court…! Itachiyama looks so cool, I can’t wait for it to be Suna-san’s serve so I can finally rotate on!” Takahama says excitedly as he watches the ongoing rally. “They’re one of the top high schools and we’re one of the top high schools, so isn’t this so much fun??” 

“Aren’t we technically unranked at the moment?” Otsuka asks as he raises his eyebrow. “Coz of last year’s results.” 

“Ehh ranks are just numbers.” Takahama waves off dismissively. “But y’know, I wouldn’t have come to Inarizaki if I didn’t think you guys were the best!” 

_Itachiyama [07 – 05] Inarizaki_

“Let’s go!!” Takahama cheers as he runs onto the court, Suna watching him tiredly with dead eyes as he prepares for his serve. 

“Why are the young ones so energetic…?” 

“Suna, nice serve!” 

Sighing to himself, Suna watches the referee carefully as he waits for the whistle. As soon as the whistle is blown, Suna instantly sends over his serve, startling Yamazaki as he stumbles to receive the ball. 

“S-sorry! Cover!” “Komori!” 

“Alright!” Komori cheers as he jumps up to set the ball, glancing to the side as Takahama instantly shifts his weight over and starts moving, only for Komori to toss in the opposite direction. “Sakusa!” 

“Gah!” Takahama yells as he halts in his step and instantly jumps to the side, hands already reaching above the net in front of Sakusa despite the late jump, catching Itachiyama by surprise. Despite his initial surprise, Sakusa spikes the ball and gets a block out. 

_Itachiyama [08 – 05] Inarizaki_

“Ohhh!!!” Takahama gasps in awe as his eyes sparkle. “That’s the spin they told me about!” 

“And that’s my cue to leave.” Suna deadpans as he switches with Kyoku, causing Y/N to roll her eyes. 

“Yer so lazy, d’ya even wanna be on the court.” 

“I do.” Suna says instantly, catching her by surprise. “But… I kind of want to just observe right now. As they say, I’m a slow starter.” 

Y/N blinks in surprise as she nods slowly. “…I see” 

On Itachiyama’s court, Komori lets out a laugh as he shakes his head. “Man, he managed to get a hand on that even though he fell for my feint. Tall people are so annoying.” 

“Says the giant libero.” Nanase deadpans as Komori grins. 

“I’m not that tall~” 

“Sure…” 

_Itachiyama – Inarizaki Practise Match – Third Set_  
_Itachiyama [15 – 16] Inarizaki_

“Gin!” Atsumu calls, setting the ball to him as Ginjima smashes it down. 

The fast-paced practise match continues with high energy as the two teams find their footing amongst themselves. Each team merges well together, but it’s true that they have both only been recently fully formed, so despite being inexperienced, they’re doing their best to fit each other. 

Inarizaki is as unpredictable and reckless as always. They’re not afraid to take risks, and they have the skills to do so. And although they make mistakes, they are not so easily discouraged. 

Itachiyama on the other hand, is consistent and precise. They focus on the strengths of each individual member, they’re structured with strong foundations. These two high level teams which are so different, make wonderful rivals. 

“Riseki!” 

_BAM!_

“Nice kill!” Atsumu cheers as he high fives Riseki. “How’d that spike feel, Riseki?” 

Riseki blinks in surprise as he blushes and grins. “Amazing!” 

“Good. Get used to it.” Atsumu smirks as Riseki tilts his head to the side. 

“Huh?” 

“Get used to me settin’ the ball to you.” Atsumu explains as he pats Riseki on the back. “Ya think yer gonna be on the court and I’m not gonna make you spike?” 

Riseki smiles in excitement as he nods. “I’ll do my best!” 

“You better.” Atsumu says as he rotates for his serve. “Yer on the court coz we expect ya to score.” 

“Is he bein’ mean?” Takahama asks from the bench as he squints at Atsumu. “I can’t tell.” 

“Nah~ If anythin’, that’s very high praise comin’ from Atsumu.” Y/N chuckles as she looks over at her team. “That’s Atsumu’s way of sayin’ he trusts him enough to send him the ball. That’s Atsumu’s way of sayin’ he knows he can do it, so he’ll send him his best tosses.” 

“Y’know, I think people would like Tsum-pai a lot better if you just translated everything he said.” Takahama mutters as Y/N laughs. 

“Nah, at the end of the day, Atsumu’s still a jerk.” 

* * *

“Thank you for the match!” 

“Argh! We lost again!” Atsumu groans as he walks over to the bench, accepting the towel that Y/N hands over to him. “Damn Tokyo punks! We’ll show ‘em at Interhigh!” 

“Whoa there, focus on Hyogo Qualifiers first.” Y/N deadpans as she hands the towels to the other players. “We needa get through Hyogo before we challenge the rest of the country bro.” 

“Fine! I’ll focus on Hyogo first!” Atsumu declares as he wipes off his sweat. “Anyway, I needa go say hi to the _other_ Cap’n now.” 

“Have fun, but remember to respect his space.” Y/N warns as Atsumu nods and waves her off. 

“I get it, I get it!” 

Atsumu walks up to Sakusa as he scowls at him slightly, doing his best to look disinterested. “Congrats on yer win or whatever.” 

“Okay.” Sakusa deadpans as Atsumu gets irritated. 

“Yer team looks good, Saku… I mean, Omi-kun.” Atsumu corrects himself as Sakusa pulls a disgusted face. 

“Don’t force yourself, Miya.” 

“Oh but I will, Omi-kun. I _will_ force myself.” Atsumu states matter of factly as he crosses his arms, causing Sakusa to sigh. 

“Your team looks good too, you seem to all fit well together.” Sakusa says as Atsumu blinks in surprise, not expecting to be complimented. 

“Uh, thanks Saku- I mean, Omi-kun.” Atsumu says as Sakusa rolls his eyes. 

“Why does it feel like I didn’t win.” Sakusa mutters. 

“Coz we’re gonna beat you next time!” Atsumu declares as Sakusa stares at him boredly. 

“How about you win first and then make declarations?” 

“Fine! I will!” Atsumu huffs before getting distracted. “Oh by the way, that setter of yours, what’s he like?” 

“What do you mean?” Sakusa asks. 

“Y’know, what’s he like!” 

“He is like a teammate.” 

“I’m pretty sure he _is_ a teammate.” 

“That makes sense.” 

“Gah! I’m not gonna get any answers from you!” Atsumu groans as Sakusa rolls his eyes. Looking around the gym, Atsumu spots Itachiyama’s new setter as he instantly starts walking over to him. “Oi! You there! Itachiyama’s setter! Number 12!” 

Yamazaki flinches at being called out as he trembles a little under Atsumu’s intense presence, backing away timidly. “M-me?” 

“What’s yer name?” Atsumu asks loudly as Yamazaki shyly avoids eye contact. 

“Um, Yama…zaki…” He trails off quietly as Atsumu tilts his head in confusion. 

“Hah? Yama what?” 

“Yamazaki…” He repeats nervously as Atsumu nods. 

“No first name huh?” 

“Umm…” 

“Alright, anyway what middle school didja go to? Any setters that you look up to? Why’dja choose to be a setter?” Atsumu asks as Yamazaki quickly gets overwhelmed. 

“U-um… I uhh…” Yamazaki fidgets nervously under Atsumu’s stare. 

“Hm?” Atsumu tilts his head in confusion, not realising that Yamazaki is intimidated by him, and not realising that he’s making him nervous. 

“F-for middle school… I went to Okojo… Middle School…” Yamazaki mumbles quietly as Atsumu nods along. 

“Ohh, a well-known middle school for volleyball, that makes sense.” Atsumu says as Yamazaki nods as well. 

“As for setters I look up to… Well, there’s a lot but…” Yamazaki fidgets nervously as he avoids eye contact. “I suppose Itachiyama’s previous captain was an amazing setter… but I was never able to meet him or play against him…” 

“Yep~ Iizuna’s really great.” Atsumu confirms. 

“But in middle school, I did get the chance to play against a really cool setter…!” 

“Oh really?” Atsumu asks, getting interested. 

“Yeah… He was really cool, and watching him really made me want to be a setter.” Yamazaki says. “You won’t remember me because I was just a first year on the bench… But I’ll never forget those sets you made that day.” 

Atsumu tilts his head in confusion as he tries to think, not connecting the dots. 

“I don’t think you realise how many people you inspire… but you’re really amazing…! The way you play volleyball, really makes a lot of people want to play too!” Yamazaki insists as some players pause and look over at him. “So um… thank you for showing me how fun volleyball is that day, I wouldn’t have become a setter if it wasn’t for you.” 

Atsumu blankly stares at Yamazaki in silence as the first year quickly becomes nervous and starts sweating, panicking as he frantically looks around for an escape. Atsumu takes a while to process his words before he can finally give a reaction. 

“…Huh?” 

“Your Captain is terrorising our first year.” Sakusa deadpans as he approaches Y/N. 

“Basically, Atsumu’s doin’ what he does best.” Y/N chuckles as she collects the towels and water bottles, stuffing them into one of her sports bags. “He’s always causin’ trouble for everyone…” 

“If only I wasn’t a recipient.” Sakusa deadpans as Y/N smiles. 

“No one can escape Atsumu~” 

“Unfortunately.” Sakusa mutters as he looks over to her. “I trust that you have been well?” 

“As well as I can be while dealin’ with this team…” Y/N sighs. “I can’t complain though, I choose to be around them.” 

“You have a great team.” Sakusa says as she blinks in surprise. 

“Thanks…” Y/N smiles softly. “That means a lot, since I know you always mean what you say.” 

“There will always be less issues when you’re honest.” Sakusa mutters as Y/N nods along. 

“True true~ Y’know, we’re goin’ back to Hyogo tomorrow but I really wanted to stay in Tokyo a bit more…” Y/N sighs tiredly as she starts walking around the gym to pick up the stray volleyballs, dragging the volleyball cart behind her as Sakusa helps. “I wanted to go sight seein’ for some inspiration for an art project I have in mind. Usually Atsumu and Osamu would come with me but they were… preoccupied.” 

“If you’d like, I can take you around Tokyo one day.” Sakusa offers as she looks over at him. “Of course we don’t have the opportunity to travel around any time soon, but if the opportunity arises and you’d still like to look around, my offer stands.” 

“That’d be nice…” Y/N mutters as she smiles at him. “Yeah, I think I’ll take you up on that, if we ever have the opportunity.” 

“Alright. Is there a reason why you want to look around Tokyo specifically?” Sakusa asks as she nods. 

“Yeah~ It’s different to back home, you guys have a lot of pretty things here.” 

Sakusa thinks for a moment as he shrugs. “I think that Hyogo is home to much more beautiful things.” 

“Oh yeah? Like what?” 

“Y/N-PAISEN!” Takahama yells, startling both of them as he runs over. “Yer talkin’ to Sakusa Kiyoomi??” 

“Umm, yeah?” 

“Gahh!! That’s so cool!” Takahama gasps as his eyes sparkle. “Yer so cool Sakusa-san! Yer so good! Yer wrist is all bendy and so difficult to block but that’s so cool! I can’t wait to play against ya again!” 

“Okay.” Sakusa responds as Y/N facepalms. “You’re an… interesting blocker.” 

“Thanks so much!” 

_‘Was that a compliment?’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she sighs. 

“Yer spikes aren’t like KABOOM! Like a lot of aces, but more like WA-SHAW! Y’know?? So cool!” 

“Thank you?” Sakusa responds, slightly confused. “You’re… very tall.” 

“Thanks! I know!” 

“That’s good.” 

“Soz was I interruptin’ you talkin’ with Y/N-paisen? You must be good friends!” Takahama exclaims. 

“Yeah.” 

“She’s really cool right?? And really pretty!” Takahama continues as Y/N instantly blushes and gets embarrassed, signalling for him to stop talking. 

“T-Takahama-” 

“Don’t be shy paisen! Have more confidence!” Takahama instructs as she blinks in confusion, unsure of how to respond. 

“W-wha-?” 

“Takahama! Can ya help me over here?” Ginjima calls as Takahama instantly looks over at him. 

“Alright Gin-san!” Takahama calls as he grins and turns back to Sakusa and Y/N. “Sorry for interruptin’ you before! I just got super excited coz yer so cool! Anyway I’m gonna go help Gin-san now so bye!” 

Sakusa and Y/N watch Takahama as he runs off to help Ginjima with the nets, instantly chatting animatedly without a care in the world. Sighing to herself, Y/N runs a hand down her face in embarrassment. 

“Sorry about him…” She mutters as Sakusa turns back to look at her, tilting his head in confusion. 

“Why?” 

“Ah- nothin’…” Y/N trails off as she cringes. “It’s just- What he said- It’s embarrassing…” 

“Why are you embarrassed?” Sakusa asks, genuinely confused. “Everything he said is true.” 

“…Huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my fellow readers 😏😏 How are you feeling today? 😏😏😏
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> I hope you enjoyed this chapter =w= I'm back into writing regularly again and I'm super excited to write the next chapters~ :D I have many things planned so I hope you'll look forward to it :)
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	55. Let The Games Begin

Y/N blankly stares ahead, not processing anything as the hum of the bus buzzes in the background. Life would be so much easier if she simply did not think. 

Vaguely aware of the chatter in the background, Y/N ignores it all as she stares ahead at nothing. Noticing her unusual silence, Suna glances up from his phone as he looks at her, sighing as he puts his phone down. 

“This silence is different from your usual silence.” Suna comments quietly as she glances at him. “Did something happen?” 

“…Nope.” Y/N mutters in response. 

“Oh really? I find that hard to believe.” Suna replies quietly as she shrugs. 

“‘Kay then.” 

Suna pauses for a moment as he thinks. “What did you talk about with Sakusa?” 

“I thought you were listening.” Y/N mutters. 

“I was, but then I got too busy watching Atsumu terrorise that first year.” Suna shrugs lazily. “Soooo… what did you two talk about?” 

“Nothing of interest.” 

“But I’m interested~” 

“Too bad.” Y/N deadpans as Suna smirks lazily. 

“Hmm… so it’s a secret huh? That’s fine~ I’ll just assume you’re too shy to tell me~” 

Y/N scowls at him as she sighs and averts eye contact. “Well… he did say he’d take me around Tokyo one day since you guys wouldn’t…” 

“OHOHOHO??” Suna exclaims as he abruptly turns to her, eyes sparkling as she backs away in concern. “He said that did he?? Then why are we heading back to Hyogo now?? Turn the bus around! We need to get back to Tokyo!” 

“Rintarou shut up!” Y/N groans as she grabs him and whispers. “Can’t you keep quiet??” 

“Ohh right right, secretive voices, got it.” Suna nods seriously. “So when’s your date?” 

“We’re not going on a date!” Y/N whisper groans as she facepalms. “We don’t even like each other that way!” 

“Are you sure about that?” 

“Ye-” 

_‘Why are you embarrassed? Everything he said is true.’_

“…Yes.” Y/N nods stiffly. 

“Why the hesitation?” Suna asks smugly. “You having a change of heart?” 

“No, I’m not.” 

“Ah that’s true.” Suna nods along as he smirks. “Your heart didn’t change, you’re just realising your true feelings.” 

“What??” 

“Don’t bother trying to deny it, you know I don’t listen to you anyway~” 

“…You’re so annoyin’.” Y/N mutters as Suna smiles at her and ruffles her hair. 

“Of course~” 

* * *

“Ah- L/N-chan!” Kagawa calls as Y/N turns around and looks at her. “Sorry um, I’m gonna miss practise today, needa prepare for those tests tomorrow…” 

“Oh, alright then.” Y/N nods as Kagawa smiles sheepishly. 

“Sorry… it’s just really hard trying to balance studies and the club…” Kagawa trails off. “It’s even harder coz we’re in third year now…” 

“No it’s alright, I get it.” Y/N smiles slightly. “I’ll let them know, don’t worry they’ll understand.” 

“Thanks…” Kagawa smiles gratefully. _‘I hope you’re doing well.’ ‘Take care of yourself.’ ‘Good work today.’_ Not knowing what to say, Kagawa shakes her head slightly as she backs away. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Yeah, see ya.” 

“Atsumu!” 

“Hup!” 

Y/N watches carefully as Atsumu tosses to Riseki, who easily spikes it down on their opponents. The Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers draws nearer as they get closer and closer to June, it’ll soon be their first official match as third years. 

May has flown by in a blur of practise and training, getting the team synched up for their upcoming matches. Despite also preparing for exams and studying, the team is in good shape, and she’s confident that they’ll make it to Interhigh again. 

Although, she’s not exactly sure how Atsumu will deal with being captain on the official court. 

He’s used to the spotlight, and he’s used to the interviewers swarming around him. But they always asked questions about _him_ , and sometimes Osamu. Now that he’s captain, he’s representing the team as a whole and she doesn’t know how to feel about that. 

Atsumu’s notorious for making enemies and saying the wrong things at the wrong times. Not to mention, they have to _listen_ to him now, and she doesn’t want that. 

If only managers could become captains. 

* * *

“Hyogo Qualifiers are tomorrow?” 

“Yeah… that’s probably why I’m so restless.” Y/N sighs. “Argh, I’m becoming like Atsumu.” 

“I hope not, one’s enough.” Sakusa deadpans. “…Are you nervous?” 

“Hm? Not really. I think we’ll do well.” Y/N mutters as she smiles slightly. “I mean, all my teammates are skilled and hardworking, they’re really givin’ it their all. I just… I got good teammates, y’know? So I’m not worried.” 

“That’s good, you don’t have any reason to be nervous anyway, your team has prepared properly.” Sakusa says simply. “My team has also been preparing well. Tokyo Qualifiers don’t happen until later so I suppose you’ll know if your team is going to Interhigh before I even play in an official match.” 

“That’s true~” Y/N smiles. “I’m guessin’ yer not nervous at all?” 

“Why would I be? I’ve done everything I can.” Sakusa says. “Everything that happens later will be out of my control.” 

“Hmm that’s true~” Y/N chuckles. “So I’m guessin’ I don’t needa wish ya good luck?” 

“No, that’s unnecessary. But I understand and appreciate the sentiment.” Sakusa smiles slightly. “So even though it’s unnecessary, um… good luck.” 

“Thanks… Hopefully I’ll see you at Interhigh.” 

“Yeah.” Sakusa nods as he pauses for a bit. “Are you going to sleep soon?” 

Y/N smiles sheepishly as she averts her eyes. “Ehh welllll… I have some stuff to do before I sleep…” 

“Why don’t you ever take care of yourself…” Sakusa sighs as he shakes his head. “You need to take proper care.” 

“I know… but I really do have things to do y’know…” Y/N trials off as she sighs. “Don’t worry, I won’t stay up too long. I hafta wake up early for Qualifiers tomorrow anyways… Maybe I’ll sleep a little more when it’s over, I think I’ll have earned a bit of a break by then.” 

“Taking care of yourself shouldn’t be a reward for working hard, it should be a given, it should be a constant.” Sakusa says sincerely. “You deserve better than the way you treat yourself.” 

Y/N doesn’t say anything as she sighs quietly, swinging her legs back on forth as she starts fiddling with her fingers. 

“Anyway, I should get going now. Go to sleep soon.” Sakusa says after a few moments. “I really mean it though, you should take care of yourself.” 

“I know…” Y/N mumbles as she sighs again. “…You always mean what you say.” 

“Of course. There’s no reason for me to say anything I don’t mean.” Sakusa states as she smiles slightly. “Goodbye then.” 

“Later~” Y/N responds as they hang up. Sighing, she gets up from her table and faceplants onto her bed, deciding to just lie there for a few moments. Once she’s regained her bearings slightly, she takes her phone out again as she stares at the screen. 

_‘Alright, time to procrastinate.’_ Y/N thinks to herself as she starts watching videos, but it’s getting later into the night and she knows she’ll have to certain someone sooner or later, he probably wouldn’t answer a call if it was too late in the evening unless it was urgent. 

Taking out her contacts list, Y/N hits the call button before she can hesitate, knowing she’d just decide to do something else if she gave it too much thought. Thankfully, he picks up the phone pretty quickly, he’s always been very punctual. 

_“Hello?”_

“Kita-senpai… How’ve you been…?” Y/N asks quietly, feeling oddly nervous to be calling him so suddenly. 

_“I’ve been well. I’ve been spendin’ my time workin’ hard and takin’ care of granny.”_ Kita responds. _“It’s been a while since we’ve spoken, Y/N, I trust that you’ve been doin’ well?”_

“Yeah… I’m tryin’ to divide my time properly so I can focus on all the things I needa do, it’s a struggle but hopefully I’ll be okay.” 

_“Health should always be prioritised. There is nothing praiseworthy about neglecting your own health, no matter how hard you work.”_ Kita states seriously as Y/N begrudgingly nods. 

“Yes Kita-senpai…” 

_“I hear that the Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh will be takin’ place tomorrow, I wish the team the best of luck, I’m sure the team’s trained properly for this.”_

“Thanks, and yeah they’ve been workin’ hard. I’m confident in our new line-up, we have a few… interesting additions to the team.” Y/N trails off as she chuckles. 

_“Oh? Well, I’d love to see the team playin’ one day.”_

“Why not see the team playin’ tomorrow?” Y/N asks hopefully. “I know everyone would really like it if you showed up.” 

_“Pu-haha! You all really want us to watch ya play.”_ Kita lets out a laugh. _“Aran told me that Atsumu and Osamu both asked him to watch their matches. Unfortunately, both Aran and I are busy with work so we cannot make it. Ren is also busy studyin’ in Osaka so I don’t think he’d be available either, I’m not too sure about Michinari, but I assume he’s also preoccupied with his studies.”_

Y/N sighs sadly. “Ah well~ it was worth a shot.” 

_“I’m sure things will go well even without my presence there.”_ Kita smiles slightly. _“I’ll watch the recordings if I can, I always enjoy watchin’ the team play.”_

“Yeah, they’re very fun to watch aren’t they?” Y/N smiles. 

_“They are.”_ Kita confirms. _“Speakin’ of which, how are my former teammates? Is Gin doin’ well?”_

“Yeah, he’s doin’ well.” Y/N chuckles. “The first and second years love him, he’s a great senpai and does a great job helpin’ ‘em with practise. He’s as reliable as ever.” 

_“That’s a relief. I hope he knows how much the team appreciates his presence.”_ Kita says. _“How about Suna? Is he takin’ practise seriously?”_

“Surprisingly, yes. He doesn’t really try to cut corners anymore or try lookin’ for shortcuts.” Y/N smiles. “He still complains about everythin’ but that’s about it. He complains about runnin’ then goes runnin’ with the team, complains about practisin’ overtime then practises overtime… Y’know, I think he’s just complainin’ to try and make us think he doesn’t like volleyball _that_ much. But it’s obvious that he likes volleyball, even if it’s just a little.” 

_“I never understood why Suna would always look for shortcuts… Isn’t it always better to do everything properly and carefully?”_ Kita asks as Y/N sweat drops. 

“…Maybe he gets tired.” 

_“Maybe he wouldn’t get tired if he did things properly.”_

Y/N doesn’t say anything as she smiles sheepishly, not knowing how to respond to that. 

_“Even so, I’m glad that he seems to be takin’ practise seriously now, it’s good that he’s doin’ things properly.”_ Kita says as she nods along. _“And Osamu?”_

“The same as ever.” Y/N chuckles. “He’s workin’ hard, he’s doin’ well.” 

_“Still fightin’ Atsumu?”_

“Would he be Osamu if he’s not fightin’ Atsumu?” Y/N asks as she chuckles. “They still fight a lot, _‘The Volleyball Team’s Famous Twins Brawling!’_ is still a school event that happens every so often. So nothin’ overly strange is happenin’.” 

_“I suppose it would be strange if things changed so suddenly. Speakin’ of Atsumu though, how is he?”_ Kita asks softly. _“How is he doin’ as captain? He always speaks with such confidence, but sometimes I wonder if he truly believes his own words.”_

“Atsumu huh?” Y/N says lightly. “Well…” 

_“Atsumu, you really don’t needa come with me every time I get new supplies for the club y’know.” Y/N deadpans as she glances at him. “Don’tcha have anythin’ better to do on yer weekends?”_

_“What’s better than doin’ boring stuff with yer friends?” Atsumu questions lazily. “Other than volleyball of course.”_

_“I don’t know? Literally anythin’ else?”_

_“Hm… nah~”_

_Y/N rolls her eyes at this as she chuckles. “You must like doin’ a lot of mundane activities.”_

_“More like I like spendin’ time with my friends, I didn’t get to do that when I was younger.” Atsumu shrugs nonchalantly. “I was either playin’ volleyball or spendin’ time with ‘Samu.”_

_Y/N pauses for a moment at this before smiling slightly. “Must be annoyin’ havin’ to spend time with the same person all the time.”_

_“It is.” Atsumu confirms seriously as he nods. “But I guess it’s more annoyin’ knowing that I don’t get to have him annoyin’ me forever anymore.”_

_“…I suppose so.” Y/N mutters as they pay for their new supplies and leave the store. She glances at Atsumu every now and then as he stays silent, oblivious to her constant glances until he turns around and notices._

_“…What? Is there somethin’ on my face?” Atsumu asks as she shakes her head._

_“Nah, I’m just wonderin’ why yer so quiet.” Y/N shrugs as they start aimlessly walking down the street. “You usually never shut up.”_

_“Excuse you! I don’t talk all the time! Everyone knows I’m the cool and quiet type ‘kay?? I’m super cool!”_

_“…Am I meant to laugh?”_

_“I’m bein’ serious!!” Atsumu groans as Y/N smiles and shrugs._

_“I don’t know Atsumu, yer more of the noisy hot-headed type.” Y/N chuckles as he glares at her. “Oi don’t look at me like that, cool and quiet is Osamu.”_

_“Huh? No way! I’m wayyy cooler than him!”_

_“Should I make a poll on the next Inarizaki newsletter?”_

_“…I don’t think anyone’s gonna vote that I’m cooler.” Atsumu mutters dejectedly as she laughs and pats his back._

_“Don’t worry, Atsumu. It’s impossible to tell who’s the more popular twin.” Y/N chuckles. “People who like Osamu will vote for Osamu, and people who like you will still vote for Osamu.”_

_“But why??” Atsumu whines. “What did I ever do??”_

_Y/N stares at him unimpressed. “I’ll try to keep this brief.”_

_“…Nevermind.”_

_Rolling her eyes, Y/N sighs as she headbutts his shoulder. “Does it even matter what people think? I don’t think you ever cared really.”_

_“I don’t care.” Atsumu mutters. “I never did care. But… I wanna be the best. First I was gonna be the best coz I wanna, but now that I’m… captain… I wanna be the best for the team.”_

_Y/N glances at Atsumu as she smiles softly. “Aww… Atsumu…”_

_“Qualifiers are comin’ up.” Atsumu says matter-of-factly. “I’m gonna do my best and be the bestest captain ever! I’m not gonna let anyone down.”_

_“You always work hard, Atsumu. Yer not gonna let any of us down.” Y/N says quietly as she smiles, causing Atsumu to glance at her as he smiles slightly too._

_“Yeah well… I needa make this year the best year possible.” Atsumu sighs. “I’ll be gettin’ scouted by the pro teams this year, so I needa be in top form. I’m also captain now, so I needa make sure I lead my team well. And…”_

_Atsumu pauses slightly as he shakes his head and sighs._

_“And it’s ‘Samu’s last year playin’ volleyball, I hafta make it the best.” Atsumu says seriously. “I hafta make sure he doesn’t regret it, I hafta make sure he doesn’t regret stickin’ with volleyball for this long.”_

_“…I know he doesn’t regret it.” Y/N mutters quietly as Atsumu sighs and nods._

_“I know. But I’m still gonna make it the best.”_

_“Alright.” Y/N smiles. “Let’s make our last year together the best one ever.”_

“Atsumu huh?” Y/N says lightly. “Well…” 

_“Is he doin’ well?”_ Kita asks again as she smiles. 

“Yeah, he’s doin’ well.” Y/N nods along. “I think he was the right choice, y’know? The right choice for captain.” 

Kita smiles at that. _“I think so too.”_

* * *

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 1 – First Round_

It’s finally the first day of the Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh. Being the top school in the prefecture, Inarizaki gets separated from the other top 8 schools as they’re all placed in their representative blocks. Over 50 schools are competing for the privilege of being one of the two schools that gets to represent Hyogo at Interhigh. And as usual, just like all official games in Hyogo; 

All eyes are on Inarizaki. 

And all the whispers follow them through the halls. 

Striding in with an air of confidence, the team pays no mind to the attention they get, although some of the first years are a little taken aback, not used to it. But it doesn’t bother them too much, not when they’re surrounded by such confident and seasoned players. 

Atsumu leads the team through the hallways as the surrounding people subconsciously back away slightly, looking at the team in admiration. 

“It’s Inarizaki High…!” 

“They’re a real powerhouse… I’m sweatin’ just lookin’ at ‘em…” 

“They’re so intimidatin’…” 

“Oh gosh it’s the Miya twins!” 

“Is that Miya Atsumu?? He’s their new captain?? I see him in Volleyball Monthly all the time…! It’s like I’m lookin’ at a celebrity!” 

“Why’s that new player so tall?? Don’t tell me he’s a first year??” 

“He’d trip and it’d take him 5 years before he actually hits the floor…” 

Y/N ignores all the usual chatter as she raises her eyebrow at Atsumu, who’s got an aloof expression on his face as he glances around. “…Atsumu?” 

“Hm?” 

“Why are we on this side of the stadium?” 

“…” Atsumu doesn’t say anything as he shrugs and starts picking at his nails. 

“Hellooo?? Captain????” Suna lazily drones as he waves a hand in front of Atsumu’s face who instantly stops playing with his fingers as he turns around to face his team, averting eye contact. 

“…‘Kay so maybe I got a bit lost and now we’re on the wrong side of the gym.” 

“We know, we were just waitin’ for you to realise.” Y/N deadpans as the rest of the team sighs and facepalms. “Now, you’ve been here heaps of times, how’dja get lost now??” 

Atsumu sheepishly scratches the back of his head as he chuckles nervously. “Haha… so maybe I was focusin’ on lookin’ cool and went the wrong way…?” 

“…That aloof expression was you tryna be cool??” The teams groans as Atsumu panics and immediately tries to shush them. 

“Shh!!! It’s okay we can just turn around and go back!” 

“Tsum-pai, there’s nothin’ more uncool than walkin’ one way then suddenly turning around to walk back the way you came.” Takahama comments as Atsumu pauses, turning around. 

“Yer right, so let’s keep goin’ straight until we make a loop around the gym.” Atsumu instructs as he starts marching forward. “C’mon team! Let’s go!” 

_‘He’s so hopeless… We’re doomed…’_ The Inarizaki team thinks in distraught as they sigh and begrudgingly follow after Atsumu. 

_‘He’s a dumb captain… but he’s_ our _dumb captain…’_

Y/N shakes her head as she sighs tiredly. 

To think that this is their first appearance at an official match… Who knows what kind of things will happen later…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!! Thankyou so much for waiting patiently for this chapter, I really appreciate it! :D
> 
> We're finally at Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers... OuO I can't wait to write the things that happen next huehuehue~ Literally writing about Captain Atsumu (and a few other things I have planned-) is going to be so fun and I can't wait until you all get to read it :)
> 
> I've been insanely busy recently and unfortunately I have a habit of overworking and trying to do everything at the same time... I'm trying to be less strict on myself but habits don't change overnight. I have a lot of projects that need to be completed soon though, so I can have time to work on more projects. 
> 
> But anyways~ I keep forgetting to put it here but it was my birthday last month and I drew the three Haikyuu characters I care about the most as a gift to myself =w=
> 
> The three characters I care about the most! Tobio, Tsukishima and Inverted Osamu! :D
> 
> For the record, I don't have a "favourite characters" ranking for Haikyuu because it's impossible for me to rank like that. I have two categories for my character rankings, "love" and "care". They're different ways I feel about the characters so I can't merge the two feelings for one list. For example, Sakusa is number 1 on my "love" ranking but is number 6 on my "care" ranking. At*umu is number 1 on my "care" ranking but doesn't make top 10 for "love". It's my own complicated feelings so I don't really expect any of you to get it but yeah XD 
> 
> Anyways! I hope everyone's doing well and taking care of themselves unlike me =w= Hope everyone's having a good holiday, and if not, I hope this chapter helps you feel a little better 😊 Take care of yourselves!
> 
> ~~~  
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	56. Awkward

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 1 – First and Second Round_

“Go! Go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ina High!” 

The Inarizaki team enters the court for their first match as their supporters cheer in the background, everyone’s excited for Inarizaki’s first official match with the new team. 

Leading his team to their side of the court, Atsumu smirks to himself as he tries to maintain a cool persona. Suddenly getting an idea, he throws his jacket off to the side in attempts to imitate Kita. 

The jacket hits Osamu in the face as the rest of the team halts in their steps, awkwardly staring at the jacket hanging on Osamu’s face. 

“Pfft-! HAHAHAHAHA!” 

Suna and Takahama laugh hysterically, clutching their stomachs as Atsumu instantly blushes in embarrassment. 

“S-Shut it!” Atsumu stutters out as he frantically looks around, trying to make sure no one saw that. 

“…” Osamu stands still as Atsumu’s jacket continues hanging from his face, choosing not to say or do anything as Atsumu quickly gets more and more embarrassed. 

“I-It’s okay Atsumu-san!” Riseki insists. “No one saw it so it’s okay!” 

“Pfft- nah, everyone saw that.” Suna snickers as Takahama continues laughing hysterically behind him. 

Cringing from second hand embarrassment, Y/N facepalms as she grabs the jacket off of Osamu’s face and walks over to the bench, the first and second years (minus Takahama) trailing after her, occasionally glancing back at Atsumu in concern. 

Coach Kurosu stares at Atsumu, unimpressed while he continues sulking, trying to hide his face from everyone’s vision. He’s still red from embarrassment. 

The entire team just stares at their captain as he sulks to himself, Y/N can’t help but sigh tiredly as she facepalms. 

“I can’t go on like this…” Atsumu mutters to himself as his soul starts to leave his body. “Goodbye…” 

“No.” Osamu deadpans, jabbing Atsumu in the side who spazzes from the sudden contact and suddenly coming back to life. 

“Awogh-! ‘Samu!” Atsumu whines as the rest of the team stares at him tiredly, their match hasn’t even started yet. “Go on without me! I can’t show my face on the court anymore-!” 

“Does it really matter how uncool you looked back there?” Y/N asks suddenly as they all flinch and turn to her. 

“N-N/N…?” Atsumu asks timidly as he pouts. 

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Y/N asks as she approaches him and pats him on the back. “As long as you look cool on the court, it doesn’t matter.” 

_FWEET!_

Atsumu takes six steps from the end line, concentrating as the Inarizaki band blasts their theme song, hyping up the crowd. 

Taking a deep breath, Atsumu shakes his head slightly as he slowly raises his hand into the air, before suddenly clenching his fist and silencing the stadium. 

Tossing the ball into the air, Atsumu watches it carefully as he runs up and smashes it onto their opponent’s court before they can properly react. 

_‘Service ace.’_

“Nice serve! Atsumu! Nice serve! Atsumu!” “ATSUMUUU!!!!” 

“Tch.” Osamu mutters as he scrunches his face and looks away, not wanting to acknowledge anything. Suna sighs in exasperation as he shakes his head and smiles, it’s not like he was expecting anything different as Ginjima turns around to cheer for Atsumu. 

From the bench, Y/N glances to the side as she watches Takahama stare at Atsumu with sparkles in his eyes. 

“Atsumu-san… Is really cool…!” He mutters out in awe as Y/N chuckles, turning to look at him too. 

“Yeah… he is.” 

“Today marks Inarizaki’s first day in an official tournament with this team.” The interviewer states as she smiles. “What do you think about your performance in your first match?” 

“Yeah, today’s the first time we all got to play on the official court together.” Atsumu confirms as he speaks into the microphone. “We all practised hard, and we won coz of all that hard work we put in. So I would say, we performed as expected.” 

“Inarizaki has remained the top volleyball school in the prefecture for 4 consecutive years now, how confident are you that you’ll be able to maintain this position? Do you have any concerns?” 

“Concerns? Why would I have any?” Atsumu asks seriously. “Everyone knows that individually, every single member of this team is strong, from my servin’ and settin’, to Suna’s blockin’. All my teammates are strong.” 

The interviewer nods along as Atsumu continues. 

“The top volleyball school in the prefecture… I don’t really care about that since yer just talkin’ ‘bout the past. It’s cool, but it doesn’t matter.” Atsumu says. “We’re gonna win ‘em all this year, it just so happens that we also won ‘em all last year and the year before that and the year before that. The school’s past victories don’t matter anymore coz we’re a new team now, and why would I have any worries with a team like Inarizaki?” 

“So you’re confident with your team?” The interviewer asks as Atsumu nods. 

“They’re the best.” 

From the other side of the hall, Osamu scrunches his face in disgust. “I hate this…” 

“Same.” Y/N mutters in response as they continue scowling at Atsumu, who’s currently continuing his first interview as team captain. 

“Huh? What’s wrong? I think the interview’s goin’ well.” Ginjima says as he glances at them. “Atsumu actually looks kinda cool right now.” 

“…No he doesn’t.” Y/N and Osamu mutter in unison as Ginjima sighs an facepalms. 

“Oh I get it, none of ya wanna admit he looks cool.” Ginjima deadpans as the two third years feign ignorance and avoid eye contact, glancing around the hall in disinterest. “Oi, he can’t even hear us, why are’ya so mad about it??” 

“We’re not mad about anything.” Osamu says as he crosses his arms. “‘Tsumu doesn’t look cool, never did and never will.” 

“Yeah, trust Osamu.” Y/N nods along as she crosses her arms as well. “He’s known that dude for longer than all of us, so he definitely knows the truth.” 

“You two are unbelievable. Suna! Back me up!” Ginjima groans as he turns to Suna. “D’ya think Atsumu’s lookin’ cool right now??” 

“…” Suna doesn’t say anything as he avoids eye contact and starts picking at his nails. 

“Suna???” 

“…Nope.” 

“You three are unbelievable.” Ginjima deadpans as he sighs tiredly, wanting to slam his head against the wall repeatedly, but as always, he must practise self-restraint. “I’m gonna go find the first and second years, you three stay here in denial. 

And as Ginjima walks off, leaving the three of them there, they glance at Atsumu slightly before immediately turning away and pretending they saw nothing. 

_‘Dammit, he looks cool.’_ They begrudgingly admit internally, scowling in disgust at the fact. 

Captain Atsumu, is kind of cool. 

* * *

Y/N wanders around the stadium aimlessly as she briefly checks out the other ongoing matches taking place, taking mental notes of scores and teams that have already been eliminated. Inarizaki has already won the second round and advanced to the third round, so all the members are either getting interviewed or watching matches with each other. 

Heading over to the opposite side of the stadium, Y/N mentally facepalms at the surroundings, this is where Atsumu got lost earlier that day. 

Looking around the Block J section of the gym, Y/N pauses when she notices a vaguely familiar face, not exactly remembering who he is. 

“Oh, uhh…” Y/N trails off as he spots her as well. 

“Ah- L/N-chan!” He exclaims in surprise as he turns to her, giving her a few seconds to read the name on his uniform. 

_‘Nakiusagi… Oh right I forgot about them oops.’_ Y/N thinks to herself in realisation. “Ah- hello, what are’ya doin’ on this side of the gym?” 

“I just won my matches in Block I so I thought I’d look at what’s happenin’ in Block J.” He explains as he chuckles. “Oh right, my name’s Matsumoto in case you forgot again.” 

“I remember, don’t worry.” Y/N says, totally not lying. “So um… Congrats on winnin’ yer matches.” 

“Thanks, you too.” He smiles as he scratches the back of his head. “I… heard that Atsumu is Inarizaki’s new Cap’n… Congrats to him I guess.” 

“Yeah he is, how’d you find out? Are’tcha on the other side of the stadium?” 

“Any information about Inarizaki travels quickly here in Hyogo.” Matsumoto chuckles. “I think it’s fitting for him, even though he’s annoyin’ and I hate him, everyone knows that Atsumu’s one of the best… Argh I don’t wanna lose to him.” 

“Don’t forget that yer gonna be versin’ Inarizaki, not just Atsumu.” Y/N reminds him, trying to ignore the comment about hating Atsumu, it’s expected but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. 

“Of course of course, this year’s my last year as well, so I’m gonna defeat you this time.” 

“Bold words, but our team’s not gonna-” 

“GWAH-!” 

Y/N gets interrupted as someone suddenly trips and falls with a thud, startling them as they abruptly turn to the side, looking at the body on the floor. 

“…Otsuka-kun?” Y/N mutters in disbelief as he flinches. 

“Otsuka-!” Riseki and Kyoku whisper yell as they run out from the corner they were hiding in and shake him. “Otsuka are’ya alive?? Answer me!!” 

“What in the world…?” Matsumoto mutters as the three Inarizaki second years suddenly freeze, remembering that they have company as they robotically turn their heads to the two third years. 

“O-Oh haha! Wow we had no idea that you two were here!” Kyoku exclaims as laughs awkwardly. “Haha the three of us were just goin’ on a walk together haha! Then Otsuka fell down!” 

“Y-Yeah what he said!” Riseki nods as he timidly stands behind Kyoku. 

“…Right, um, I think we’re gonna head back to the rest of the team then, ‘kay?” Y/N says after a moment, sighing internally before turning to Matsumoto and smiling politely. “Congrats on makin’ it to the third round, hope to see ya in the finals.” 

“Right-! Uhh yeah, um… bye.” He stutters out as Y/N smiles again and starts pushing the Inarizaki second years around the corner. 

The three second years keep their mouths shut as they quietly follow after her, heading back to Block A where majority of the team should be. After a few moments, Y/N glances over her shoulder as she looks at them pointedly. 

“Well?” 

“Yes?” Kyoku answers innocently as Riseki and Otsuka awkwardly avoid eye contact behind him. 

“Why were you three eavesdropping?” Y/N asks as they flinch, causing her to smirk. “Well?” 

“W-We just wanted to make sure that yer okay!” Riseki stutters out as the other two nod. 

“We know you can handle yerself! We just wanted to back you up just in case!” 

“Just in case of what?” 

“Uhh…” Kyoku trails off as he smiles sheepishly. “In case you got into a fight…?” 

“Pfft-!” Y/N lets out a laugh as she shakes her head. “At least I know who to call if I’m ever gonna go pickin’ fights.” 

The three of them smile sheepishly at her. “You can count on us!” 

Finally arriving home from the long day, Y/N sighs as she faceplants onto her bed, taking in a heavy breath before exhaling. Tournaments are always exhausting. But before she can fully immerse herself in the art of doing nothing, her phone buzzes in her pocket. 

Y/N tiredly grabs her phone to look at her notifications, smiling slightly as she rolls over and opens Sakusa’s message. 

_‘Scores?’_

_‘Straight sets for both, can’t remember the exact scores but they’re in my notebook.’_ Y/N responds. 

_‘That’s fine. Be sure to relax, you worked hard today. Congratulations on your victories.’_

Y/N smiles at that. _‘Thanks.’_

* * *

_「 Hyogo Prefectural Qualifiers for Interhigh 」_  
_Day 2 – Third Round, Quarterfinals and Semifinals_

Y/N quietly unpacks the team’s belongings with Kagawa as they prepare for the day, the rest of the team busying themselves with their own activities. Kagawa glances at Y/N every now and then, not really sure if she should say anything, before sighing to herself. 

“Hey, L/N-chan?” Kagawa calls quietly as Y/N glances up at her. 

“Yeah?” 

Kagawa pauses to think for a moment before internally sighing. “D’ya ever stop and think about how this is our last time with the team? I mean, I know the year just started but I don’t know… I can’t stop thinkin’ about it…” 

“Hmm, I guess?” Y/N responds as she tilts her head to the side in thought. “Why are’ya bein’ all doomsday about it though? After Qualifiers we’ve got Interhigh, and after that we still have Spring High.” 

“Yeah… That’s true.” Kagawa sighs. “I don’t know, it all kinda just feels so far away, but really close at the same time.” 

“Well, yer not wrong about how it feels.” 

“Mm…” Kagawa nods before glancing around. “By the way, where’s Chika-chan?” 

“Ah, she’s talkin’ to Takahama again.” 

The two third year managers turn to the side to see Inoue and Takahama engaged in a very animated conversation, watching them as they excitedly talk with exaggerated gestures. 

“…What are they even talkin’ about?” Kagawa wonders out loud as Y/N shrugs. 

“No idea, but they’re usin’ way too much energy and I’m gettin’ tired just watchin’ them.” 

“Are we just gonna keep watchin’ ‘em talk? Or am I gonna hafta call Chika-chan over?” Kagawa asks as Y/N shrugs again. But somehow, Inoue senses the two talking about her and turns around to look at them, quickly waving goodbye to Takahama as she runs over. 

“Didja need me for somethin’?” Inoue asks as she approaches them. 

“Just the usual stuff to prepare for the day.” Kagawa chuckles. “Three matches today… it’s gonna be a long day.” 

“I’m sure we’ll handle it~” Y/N chimes. “Today’s matches shouldn’t be too intense so it’s fine. Then we needa worry about finals tomorrow.” 

“And training camp right after Qualifiers.” Kagawa pipes up. “Man, we’re really busy aren’t we?” 

“Isn’t it fun though, Kagawa-senpai? We get to spend heaps of time together!” Inoue exclaims as she and Kagawa laugh. 

“That’s true that’s true~” Kagawa chimes as she smiles. “Say Chika-chan, what didja think of the movie last weekend?” 

“Oh it was good! I liked it when-” 

Y/N half listens to their conversation as she busies herself with her own activities, not bothering to join them or interrupt as she thinks to herself. While the two of them are kind to her and treat her well, it’s clear that they are just members of the same club. But watching the two of them talk so happily about details in their lives that she never knew, it’s easy to acknowledge that Kagawa and Inoue are friends, and she starts to wonder. 

Is it her fault that they’re not friends? Did she not put enough effort in? The answer to both questions is most likely yes. Y/N was never the kind of person who went out of her way to make friends with others. But even so… 

She wonders how things would be different, if they were all friends. 

* * *

_Semifinals: Inarizaki – Himeji Tech Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [24 – 17] Himeji Tech_

“‘Samu!” Atsumu calls out as he tosses a quick set to him. 

Osamu jumps up as he spikes the ball down, but Himeji Tech’s libero manages to shift over and receives it head-on, tumbling backwards from the force. 

“Argh-! Sorry!” He groans as the ball flies over the net. 

“Chance ball!” 

“I got it!” Takahama calls out as he jumps up and spikes the ball down on the first touch. 

“Hnng-!” Their opponent dives for the ball as he manages to save it. “Cover!” 

“Alright!” 

Riseki briefly glances over at Takahama, who’s carefully observing the players, ready to start moving to block their next attack. Once Takahama reads the next move, he instantly starts running to the left as Riseki follows, jumping up to block. 

“Two blockers!” “Hnng-!” 

The spike touches Takahama’s fingers as he quickly looks over his shoulder. “One touch!” 

“Atsumu!” “Got it!” 

Osamu and Ginjima instantly start running for a Double Quick as Atsumu grins to himself, positioning himself under the ball as he sets it. 

“Hup!” 

Ginjima jumps up and spikes the ball down onto Himeji Tech’s court, ending the match. 

_FWEET!_

_Semifinals: Inarizaki – Himeji Tech Match – Second Set_  
_Inarizaki [25 – 17] Himeji Tech_

“ALRIGHT!!” Ginjima cheers as the rest of the team starts yelling in excitement. 

“Nice kill Gin-san!” Takahama exclaims as he laughs. 

“Thanks!” 

“Oi I’m the one that set the ball! That’s my point too!” Atsumu whines until Osamu elbows him. 

“Then that’s my point too.” 

“Huh?? How???” 

“What’s yours is mine.” 

“Hah?!!” 

“I think that was all of our points because we’re a team!” Suna exclaims with fake excitement before reverting back to his usual deadpan state. “Anyway that’s enough energy for the day, I’m tired can we go home yet.” 

“Not yet Suna!” Atsumu groans as Y/N chuckles a little to the side of the group. 

“I mean, yer all gonna hafta go home Suna or later.” 

“…” 

“This is the part where you laugh.” 

“Hahahaha!” The first and second years start laughing as the third years tiredly stare off into the distance while Y/N nods and smiles. 

“That’s more like it.” 

Osamu sighs as he and the rest of the team walk over to the net to shake hands with the Himeji Tech team before turning back to their area. 

“Gather up!” Atsumu calls, waiting for his teammates to line up and thank their supporters. 

The crowds clap and cheer for Inarizaki as they stand before them, taking in the applause and support as their hearts swell with pride. 

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” 

Y/N claps along with the crowds as she smiles proudly at her team. They’ve already confirmed their placement in Interhigh and all that’s left is to determine whether they’ll be Hyogo’s first or second representative in the final match tomorrow. 

And as she watches them bow as they thank their supporters, Kagawa approaches her from the side, having not been on the bench due to only one manager being allowed. 

Smiling at her, then at the team, Kagawa chuckles as she looks at Y/N. 

“I’m so lucky to have so many cool teammates.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter~ =w= 
> 
> I was planning on posting the new chapter for my Iizuna fic first but I was more in the mood for this fic so welp XD I think from now on I'll just write for the one I feel like writing for more, rather than alternating like I've been trying to do =3=
> 
> I've been really busy and super exhausted but I think I'm improving slightly =w= So hopefully I can continue to improve until I can maintain a healthy lifestyle :D
> 
> Just one thing I want to brag about, but if you follow me on instagram then you'll know that I was acting as a proxy for the Atsumu nendoroid that was just released yesterday! Basically, I purchase multiple of the nendoroid for people in my country in order to reduce shipping costs! And let me tell you...
> 
> Atsumu's nendoroid is sold out because of me :)
> 
> Yeah that's right, I bought the last of the Atsumu's and now he's out of stock. I'm the villain in someone's story now... But oh well not my problem 🤩🤩🤩
> 
> Atsumu sold out in less than 24 hours and to think that I made it happen... I feel powerful for some reason...
> 
> So yes, if you wanted to buy an Atsumu nendoroid from the official GoodSmile company... Sorry you can't anymore :D I literally bought all of the last ones :D I know I did because I was constantly monitoring and in my last order, they removed one of my Atsumu's because of lack of stock so I had to quickly buy the rest or else I would have lost more Atsumu's. Unfortunately that meant my friend would miss out on her Atsumu nendoroid but she was on the fence anyway so she wasn't bothered XD
> 
> ANYWAY!! I just wanted to brag because it's lowkey a crazy story and I've never done anything like that before and to think I'd do it for At*umu argh so embarrassing =_=
> 
> That being said! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :D Atsumu embarrassing himself in the beginning has been planned for a very long time :)) but luckily for him, he's c*ol (sometimes) when he doesn't try... New Inarizaki second years are so cute~ I really like how their personalities differ from the (new) Inarizaki third years XD The whole team just feels fresh so they're fun to write for~
> 
> So ya! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm really excited to finish off Qualifiers so I can write the training camp and then Interhigh... :) Cannot wait until then! :D
> 
> ~~~  
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